A Visit to Cistus Nursery
I rarely go to nurseries anymore since I work part-time at one and another reason being that I don't have much room for additional plants. When a garden fanatic runs out of room, the brain goes into overdrive, dreaming up ingenious ways to incorporate more plants. And another thing happens - a burning desire to obtain rare and unique plants. I've been moving plants around, a tricky process that has a domino effect. A plant is unhappy - it is getting too much shade or perhaps too much sun. There is a plant that did not get as large as you thought it would or it is just a slow grower and now it is hopelessly hidden behind a taller plant. Sometimes a plant is just a dud for reasons unknown (Rhododendron 'Golden Gate' anyone?). I find the plant in question a better home, but it means that another plant will have to be moved. And the merry-go-round continues to turn... However, for those plants that are to be discarded, a space opens up for a new one! I decided to move a Mou...
Looks like a junco to me. They're a winter bird here in Nebraska.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you asked this, and that Benjamin took the time to answer. We have small flocks of these little ones visit our home here in SC, and I'd never seen them before and was clueless as to their id. Now I can follow up with junco as my starting point. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty little Junco. We called them snow birds when we were small here in Ohio. Seemed they just showed up in the winter just as the snows came. I love photographing birds nut I have the worst time trying to get the eyes to show up on the dark headed birds. The Juncos give me fits to try to photograph when they are in the snow trying to get the light right to show their eyes. Wonderful photos! Have fun with your counting.
ReplyDeleteA Dark-eyed Junco it is .. Great fun counting all the birds!
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a dark-eyed junco, but feel compelled to add that they look a bit different in Michigan--the gray is more solid, less stripey. Um, because I knew you wanted to know this.
ReplyDeleteI also thought "junco." Saw a few for the first time in our yard this winter, and had a tough time id'ing them because they weren't on our regional common bird lists.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for doing the count!
I love birders. So helpful, so honest, so sweet.
ReplyDeleteA Junco. They arrive late fall and stay through the winter here. They don't use the bird feeders - they like to forage around the garden.
ReplyDeleteCameron
Thanks everybody! I'm a bit surprised because I didn't know we had those here. Cameron, I always see them on the driveway, never at the feeders.
ReplyDeleteI've taken to tossing seeds in the lawn where I don't mind them germinating if they last through the winter. The juncos swarm those areas a few times a day. I'd never really noticed them before this year.
ReplyDeleteSaw our first junco yesterday! :D I had to look it up in our bird book lol. Neat little things :D
ReplyDeleteThis is the first year I've seen so many dark-eyed juncos in my yard, Phillip. And as far as bluejays go, I've seen 2 the entire season. Most unusual. My most numerous is the bluebird and I get about 17 of those. I think they live right around here because they know they have lots of good eats;-)
ReplyDelete