While replenishing the bird feeders last week, I heard a faint rustling in the leaves among the shrubs.  Honing in on the source of the shuffling leaves, I watched as a dreaded, winged, meteorological messenger appeared among the fallen leaves and was quickly followed by a second one.

Like tiny well-dressed morticians of the avian world, our feathered forecasters appear each year in late November to shuffle away the dying remains of fall to make way for the arrival of winter.

Much to my dismay, I watched as two Dark-Eyed Juncos frolicked in the fallen leaves… winter is imminent; the dreaded snow birds have arrived!

The website All About Birds has some interesting facts about these lovers of cold weather,

“Dark-eyed Juncos are neat, even flashy little sparrows flitting about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, and then they head south and flood the rest of North America for winter. They’re easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight. Dark-eyed Juncos are among the most abundant forest birds of North America. Look for them on woodland walks as well as in flocks at your feeders or on the ground beneath them.

“You can find Dark-eyed Juncos by walking around open, partially wooded areas with understory for cover. Keep your eyes on the ground and listen for their twittering call or their trilling song. If they are flushed from the ground, look for an overall gray or dark brown bird with obvious, white outer tail feathers.

“Juncos are the “snowbirds” of the middle latitudes. Over most of the eastern United States, they appear as winter sets in, and then retreat northward each spring. Other juncos are year-round residents, retreating into woodlands during the breeding season, or, like those of the Appalachian Mountains, moving to higher elevations during the warmer months.

“The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the most common birds in North America and can be found across the continent, from Alaska to Mexico, from California to New York. A recent estimate set the junco’s total population at approximately 630 million individuals.

“The oldest recorded Dark-eyed Junco was at least 11 years, 4 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in West Virginia in 2001. It had been banded in the same state in 1991.”

Looks like our cold weather loving little feathered friends will be with us until late March of next year.  I need to make sure there are plenty of “scrap” sunflower seeds under the feeder for them.

Lake County Man Faces Wildlife Violations

An investigation is underway in Dyer, Ind.,  after a search warrant executed on November 20 led to the charges of multiple fish and wildlife criminal violations.

The investigation also found 23 dogs and five cats in poor conditions. The animals were removed by Lake County Animal Control, the Hobart Humane Society, and Humane Indiana.

As a result of the investigation, Cody Rowe, 28, of Dyer, was arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail. Rowe is preliminarily being charged with – 31 counts of illegal possession and taking of whitetail deer, 23 counts of neglect of animals, 3 counts of removing Eastern Box Turtles from the wild, one count of possession of an undersized snapping turtle, one count of failure to purchase a hunting license, one count of illegal possession of bobcat (tail), one count of hunting deer with the aid of bait, one count of false informing, and one count of hindering a Conservation Officer,

The investigation is ongoing.

Logansport Man Injured In Hunting Accident

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a hunting accident occurring in Logansport, Ind., on November 17. Just after 10 a.m., officers were dispatched when Cass County Emergency Dispatch received the report of a deer hunter who had been shot in the foot.

Daniel Jackson, 36, of Logansport, was finishing his hunt and lowering his firearm from an elevated stand when the gun discharged and the bullet hit his foot. 

Jackson safely climbed down from the stand and called for help. He was transported to Logansport Memorial Hospital in good condition.

Monroe Lake Final Holiday Hiking Challenge

Monroe Lake is hosting its final Holiday Hiking Challenge during Thanksgiving weekend, November 28 to December 1.  Participants will have four days to hike all of the trails inside Paynetown, Allens Creek, and Fairfax state recreation areas, a total distance of 10 to 14 miles, depending on the routes hikers choose.

Each trail has at least one station where participating hikers will need to complete a specified activity and take a selfie. Once finishing the entire challenge, participants can submit their photo set for a chance to win prizes such as a 2025 State Parks annual entrance pass or a guided kayak trip for up to eight people.

 More information about the challenge is at: tinyurl.com/monroe-hhc2024. 

“This is intended to be a low pressure, relaxed event for a variety of fitness levels,” said Jill Vance, Monroe Lake’s interpretative naturalist. “There are always a few people who run or power hike so that they can finish in one day, but most opt to be more leisurely and spread out the miles over multiple days.”

‘till next time,  

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.