Maybe a Junco?

[TomTelford]

Sorry for the poor image quality, never got very close on this one.

It's about the same size as a WT Sparrow and that's about all I saw.  It looked entirely grey on top.



Tom.

[Leslie Kinrys]

Yes, it is a Junco. The male is dark above and pale below. I can also see the bird's pink bill.

[TomTelford]

Maybe its my memory playing tricks on me but the more I think about it, this guy was a little on the large size for a Junco.  The Juncos have just arrived and while they are somewhat varied in colouration they all look like you flipped them over and dunked them in a pot of grey paint.  There is a distinct nearly horizontal line between the white and grey on the breast.  On this one the grey seems end in a ring around the neck and the head was much darker, like the "Oregon" colouration in my guide.  It was also hanging out with the sparrows and not with the other Juncos.

I'll try to get a better shot if I see it again.

Tom.

[Leslie Kinrys]

Hi,
I checked my Sibley's guide. The Oregon form is a rare visitor here. Also, they are marginally the smallest form. The juncos in my yard hang out with the sparrows. Hopefully, the bird will return and you get a better shot. I look forward to seeing the pic.

[TomTelford]

Now that I'm seeing more Juncos around I'm thinking this one was as well.  But I am noticing that the darker Juncos around here are also noticibly larger than the lighter ones.  Similar to a WT vs. a Chipping Sparrow.  Any thoughts?

Tom.

[thouc]

The darker, bigger ones are probably males, while the lighter, smaller ones are females/juveniles.

[Kin Lau]

For the past few weeks, I've had a dozen or more Junco's feeding in my yard, so I got to watch them _alot_

There were a few large males in the mix, significantly larger than the other males. Nothing else seemed to be different..

I did try to look/wish for white-wing bars, but no luck.

[Raven11:11]

We have also seen the same pair (I assume ) come back  in many months,  We  are very happy to see them again!