It snowed again last night. Nothing like the accumulation we had at the very start of the year, but enough to remind us that spring hasn’t yet arrived. Today’s photo comes from right after that January snowfall here in Indianapolis.
Once the sky had mostly cleared, my daughter and I went out to see what we could find. Though it wasn’t necessarily an exceptional storm by any other standards, this was the first significant quantity of snow we’ve had in a few years, surpassing the last three seasons in their entirety.
This is a Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), an adult male by the coloration. Though there are a few different subspecies, the male is generally darker gray while the female is a buffy brown. The subspecies found in Indiana, the Slate-colored Junco, is the most widespread in the winter United States.
He looks a little dismayed by the snow. Once winter ends he will be winging his way back to the frozen North, so I can imagine the disappointment of his warm vacation ruined.
Leave a comment