{"id":165957,"date":"2025-12-18T06:03:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T12:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=165957"},"modified":"2025-12-26T09:46:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T15:46:32","slug":"dark-eyed-junco-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/12\/18\/dark-eyed-junco-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark-eyed Junco Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FemaleFemale Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year on this date, I photographed this female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in my friend Steve Creek’s garden<\/span><\/a> from his deck on a chilly morning.<\/p>\n

I was bundled up, so it probably felt less chilly than it actually was. This year, the forecast is very different. It is supposed to be in the mid 60s today. It is 59\u00b0F as I write this.<\/p>\n

But wait, there is more. The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day forecasts here this year?<\/p>\n

Highs will be close to 80\u00b0F. Winter will be summer.<\/p>\n

The memories I’m writing about, though, have nothing to do with the wacky weather here. They are about my Mom and her love of juncos. Mom loved the “snow birds,” and every year we’d share when we saw our first of year juncos.<\/p>\n

A few times, Mom would see her first of the season juncos in my garden in Virginia around Thanksgiving. We’d stand together on my screened porch and watch them eating at my seed feeders.<\/p>\n

It hit me this morning that this this my third Christmas season without my Mom. I miss her so much.<\/p>\n

Note to self: I need to take more junco photos this year.<\/p>\n

Life can be bittersweet.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to view more of my Dark-eyed Junco photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year on this date, I photographed this female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in my friend Steve Creek’s garden from his deck on a chilly morning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,27,2749,13951],"tags":[4004,970,2750,1996,4620,4070,13931,6036,2751,6037,9326,4104,17030,855,4195,15824,13966],"class_list":["post-165957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-avian","category-dark-eyed-juncos","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-dark-eyed-junco","tag-driftwood","tag-fall","tag-female","tag-garden","tag-junco","tag-junco-hyemalis","tag-juncos","tag-memories","tag-perched","tag-slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-suburban","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-mia-mcpherson-8869.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-HaJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":136133,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/11\/02\/slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco-in-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":0},"title":"Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco In Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Along with a cool front, the juncos have returned to Arkansas, including this subtle but lovely female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco I photographed yesterday.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco female in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5599.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5599.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5599.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5599.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138176,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/24\/snow-birds-winter-slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":1},"title":"Snow Birds – Winter Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"There is no snow in the forecast, but that won't prevent me from sharing winter Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco images, which are also known as snow birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in winter, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-winter-mia-mcpherson-0670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-winter-mia-mcpherson-0670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-winter-mia-mcpherson-0670.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-winter-mia-mcpherson-0670.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137681,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/05\/december-female-slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":2},"title":"December Female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm enjoying sharing my Dark-eyed Junco photos from Arkansas almost as much as I enjoy hearing, seeing, and photographing them since they arrived this fall.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in December, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":79577,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/02\/20\/low-light-dark-eyed-junco-in-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":3},"title":"Low Light Dark-eyed Junco In Snow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week I photographed a male Dark-eyed Junco in snow close to home in poor, low light conditions. I am happy with how the photo turned out.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Low light Dark-eyed Junco in snow, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-adult-male-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-adult-male-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-adult-male-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-adult-male-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":140672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/23\/female-slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco-and-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":4},"title":"Female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco And Snow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted to share this image of a female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco today because I couldn't resist the soft, innocent look she had after the recent snow.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco after an Arkansas snow, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-3690.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-3690.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-3690.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-3690.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138810,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/16\/snowy-slate-colored-dark-eyed-junco-photos-from-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":165957,"position":5},"title":"Snowy Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco Photos From Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The second day of the big snowstorm here in Arkansas last week had me out on the deck, taking snowy Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco photos along with other birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Resting Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in fog and snow, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-9000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-9000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-9000.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dark-eyed-junco-slate-colored-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-9000.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}