{"id":48989,"date":"2017-10-16T05:07:41","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T11:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=48989"},"modified":"2024-11-02T10:10:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T15:10:55","slug":"dark-eyed-junco-mullein-blooming-rabbitbrush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/10\/16\/dark-eyed-junco-mullein-blooming-rabbitbrush\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark-eyed Junco, Mullein & Blooming Rabbitbrush"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dark-eyedDark-eyed Junco (Oregon) perched on Mullein – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I lived in Virginia I could almost always tell when we were going to get our first snow of the season by the arrival of flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos. The slate-colored subspecies of Dark-eyed Juncos would usually show up in flocks in my yard and garden a few days before the snow would fly, I always loved seeing and hearing them, we called them “snow birds”. I now wish I would have had cameras and gear that would have allowed me to photograph the ones that came into my yard back then, especially when there was a blanket of snow on the ground.<\/p>\n

Here in northern Utah I can see the Slate-colored, Oregon, Pink-sided and Gray-headed subspecies (some people call them groups) of Dark-eyed Juncos. Once at Fish Lake I saw all four in close proximity to each other but I could not get a single decent picture of them.<\/p>\n

Yesterday while looking for birds to photograph a single Dark-eyed Junco popped up into my view and perched on a dried mullein stalk in front of blooming rabbitbrush. Even though the junco was a bit further away than I would have liked I couldn’t resist photographing the handsome bird in such a pretty setting. So he is a tad small in the frame but I love the images anyway.<\/p>\n

\"Dark-eyedDark-eyed Junco perched on Mullein in front of blooming Rabbitbrush – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dark-eyed Junco at least gave me a few different poses before he flew off. He was such a pretty bird!<\/p>\n

In Utah we have juncos all year long but during the summer I have to head up into the mountains to see them, during the fall the juncos start to move down into the benches and the valleys. I’ve been seeing the juncos a lot more frequently since the weather started to turn colder.<\/p>\n

I saw a low of 20\u00b0F yesterday. Summer has gone and winter is now pushing its way in but I hope we have fall for a bit longer because I am enjoying the brisk mornings and warm afternoons.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Yesterday while looking for birds to photograph a single Dark-eyed Junco popped up into my view and perched on a dried mullein stalk in front of blooming rabbitbrush.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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":[27,1148,2749,26],"tags":[4004,970,2750,4098,4620,6036,2751,6037,6177,6087,4104,4289,11852,6178,855,4195,5422],"class_list":["post-48989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-dark-eyed-juncos","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-dark-eyed-junco","tag-desert","tag-fall","tag-junco","tag-junco-hyemalis","tag-juncos","tag-mullein","tag-oregon","tag-perched","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-ranchlands","tag-snow-birds","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-subspecies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-rabbitbrush-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6368.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cK9","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":48989,"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":16760,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/06\/snow-birds-dark-eyed-juncos\/","url_meta":{"origin":48989,"position":1},"title":"Snow Birds – Dark-eyed Juncos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"When I lived in Virginia I could almost predict when the first snow would fall because the juncos showed at my feeders up a day or two before the first winter storm.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Dark-eyed Junco, Oregon race, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-6530.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-oregon-mia-mcpherson-6530.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-6530.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-6530.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74958,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/28\/dark-eyed-junco-and-rabbitbrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":48989,"position":2},"title":"Dark-eyed Junco And Rabbitbrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the Dark-eyed Juncos that I had in my viewfinder was perched on top of a rabbitbrush with seeds and fluff in its bill that turned its head towards me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark-eyed Junco eating rabbitbrush seeds, Stansbury Mountains, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9032.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-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9032.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9032.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9032.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51055,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/02\/24\/portrait-of-a-dark-eyed-junco-in-a-snow-storm\/","url_meta":{"origin":48989,"position":3},"title":"Portrait of a Dark-eyed Junco in a Snow Storm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As the snow from the storm fell I noticed some of the Dark-eyed Juncos feeding on the ground and I was able to photograph this junco's portrait as it hid behind a mound of snow.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark-eyed Junco portrait in a snow storm, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-3644.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-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-3644.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-3644.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-3644.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54309,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/09\/26\/female-or-immature-dark-eyed-junco-oreganus-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":48989,"position":4},"title":"Female or Immature Dark-eyed Junco – Oreganus Group","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago I was able to photograph a female or immature Dark-eyed Junco of the Oreganus Group when it flew in and landed not too far away from me and I have to admit that seeing it excited me because I enjoy these birds so much.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female\/Immature Dark-eyed Junco - Oreganus Group, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-5473.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-oregon-mia-mcpherson-5473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-5473.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dark-eyed-junco-oregon-mia-mcpherson-5473.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61075,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/29\/male-dark-eyed-junco-close-up-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":48989,"position":5},"title":"Male Dark-eyed Junco Close Up At Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As common as Dark-eyed Juncos are I have surprisingly few photos of them in my galleries and that is why I get excited when I can add a new photo of them to my portfolio.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Dark-eyed Junco close up, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-close-up-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-close-up-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-close-up-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dark-eyed-junco-close-up-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4990.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\/48989","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=48989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}