A gardener specializing in native plants took to Reddit to share images of some feathered friends who'd safely hatched.
In the post, which was an update on an earlier discovery, the Redditor expressed their happiness at seeing eggs hatch: "I'm so proud! I'm going to leave them alone so they stay protected, but I'm just so pleased."
In the earlier thread, one commenter suggested the arrivals were an ornithological stamp of approval for the garden: "High praise to have attracted ground nesters!" In the update, one of the top responses pointed out the seasonal nature of the arrival: "These guys are my winter buddies. I'm so jealous!"
As the poster had suspected, the birds were juncos. The dark-eyed junco is a common bird species found throughout North America.
Sometimes called snowbirds, juncos belong to the New World sparrow family. They primarily subsist on seeds and insects, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem. They disperse seeds, keep insect populations in check, and provide prey for larger birds and mammals.
As the Pajarito Environmental Education Center notes, the junco tends to return to the same spot each year to breed.
By setting up a native garden that is inviting to the birds, the Redditor may enjoy these visitors for many years to come. The thread prompted comments about the heartwarming sight of the juncos being raised in the yard.
"Juncos are the cutest!!" one user observed.
Another said: "I love these guys. I only get them in winter. Enjoy watching them grow."
Gardening with native plants offers numerous benefits to both the green thumb and the environment.
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How often will you be gardening this summer? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Every day 🥗 Rewilding a yard and upgrading to a natural lawn saves effort, money, and time. Moreover, by creating a hospitable ecosystem, a variety of delightful visitors may just drop by.
As one of the thread's commenters said, with a nod to the 1989 film Field of Dreams: "Build it and they will come!!!"
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