The one-legged bird

​I have a one-legged Dark-Eyed Junco that occasionally visits the deck outside my living room.  I love this bird; well, mostly I love all birds, but this one has my heart.

He first started visiting in the early Spring two years ago, at that time he was an adult bird so he must be at least 3 years old now.  This guy is one of the most resilient creatures I know. 

He works harder than the other Juncos because when he hops around he falls over every once in a while and has to right himself (more calories needed); and when he sits and eats at the suet feeder he has to flap his wings more for balance (more calories needed).

This past February the Seattle area had much colder than normal temperatures and while I had seen the Junco in January, by February he was a no-show. I feared that due to his need for more calories he had perished during the colder weather.

I know the location of his "home base" and was seized with the wild idea to go ask my neighbor if I could look for his corpse in her backyard. God knows what I thought I would do with it.  Luckily the impulse eventually passed.

​Then a few weeks ago, he was back! 

Welcome back Dark Eyed Junco, you are always welcome here.

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