I have seen them in multiple places on my own property which has very few conifers! Good observations all!
On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 3:35 PM Jerry Skinner <[email protected]> wrote: > There have been summer resident juncos at Sweet Melissa’s ice cream shop > in downtown Ithaca for two years now. > > > On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 11:42 AM Donna Lee Scott <[email protected]> wrote: > >> DE Juncos built a nest in a pot of New Guinea Impatiens in a metal stand >> near the front/main entry of a Kendal cottage in the south/middle side of >> this Ithaca old folks home this spring. >> …In a cluster of “cottages”(row houses, really). Lots of cement >> sidewalks. >> No good habitat anywhere nearby. Just a few ornamental trees. >> >> The resident has counted 4 eggs. >> Bird-savvy person, so he will be careful not to water nest. >> >> Donna Scott >> Kendal at Ithaca-377 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On May 22, 2026, at 11:12 AM, david nicosia (via CAYUGABIRDS-L list) < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> Hi everyone, >> >> Now that I am retired, I’ve been taking some time to document the >> breeding Dark-eyed Juncos in my neighborhood here in Johnson City, and I’m >> amazed at how they have transitioned into a common "backyard" summer >> breeder. >> >> For context, I have had nesting Juncos on my property for years, which >> I’ve always attributed to my dense spruce/fir cover and year-round feeding. >> However, I’ve recently been mapping singing males in the surrounding >> neighborhood, and the habitat selection is fascinating: >> >> - >> >> *Observation 1:* A male singing from the top of a utility pole in an >> area with very few conifers or dense brush. >> - >> >> *Observation 2:* A male in better habitat (adjacent to woods) singing >> from the top of a basketball backboard. >> - >> >> *Observation 3:* A male singing from a rooftop surrounded by small >> blue spruce/arborvitae, again in a yard with limited cover. >> >> By contrast, I walked a steep, north-facing hillside across from my house >> this morning—a mature northern hardwood forest with hemlocks, red pine, and >> Norway spruce—and I recorded zero Juncos. They seem to show a strong >> preference for the south-facing suburban yards, which stands in stark >> contrast to my memories from 40+ years ago, when finding a summer Junco >> required trekking into deep, shaded ravines. >> >> For a species so strongly associated with boreal breeding and >> cold-adapted affinities, this shift seems quite significant. I am reminded >> of the well-documented adaptation of the Oregon subspecies of the Dark-Eyed >> Junco in Southern California. Are we seeing a similar pathway for * >> hyemalis* here in the East? >> >> Has anyone else noticed this trend in their local areas? I would be very >> interested to hear if others are seeing this shift toward suburban nesting >> or if there are any current studies investigating this behavioral >> plasticity. >> >> Best, >> Dave Nicosia >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information >> Posting Address: [email protected] >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive: //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> <https:%3Ca%20href=>/maillist.html" class="hft-urls">https: >> //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >> Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at >> http://www.ebird.org. >> -- >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information >> Posting Address: [email protected] >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive: //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> <https:%3Ca%20href=>/maillist.html" class="hft-urls">https: >> //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >> Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at >> http://www.ebird.org. >> -- >> > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information > Posting Address: [email protected] > Archives: > The Mail Archive: //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > <https:%3Ca%20href=>/maillist.html" class="hft-urls">https: > //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at > http://www.ebird.org. > -- > -- *Evelyn Weinstein, LMSW* *376 Brooktondale Rd* *Brooktondale, NY 14817* *USA* *607.592.3333* -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information Posting Address: [email protected] Archives: The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org. --
