Funny, but I usually don’t see my small flock of snowbirds until it actually snows. Then they show up, about 8 or 9 birds.
Cold weather seems to draw them to our feeders, though I have never seen a snowbird (a dark eyed junco) actually at the feeder, but always on the ground. Sparrows are the same way, preferring to scratch and forage with both feet, like a chicken. Because of that behavior, I always scatter some millet and smaller seeds on the ground for my little friends.
Juncos are attractive little birds. About the size of a sparrow, the male has dark, almost black feathers, while the hen is a drab gray. The distinguishing features are white, outer tail feathers that flash like a “vee” in flight. They are migrators, travelling as far north as Canada, but like to settle in Virginia during the winter months. The females often migrate further south than the males, though they manage to get back together come spring.
Snowbirds have a rigid pecking order, and the dominant bird or birds will chase away the less aggressive birds.
I have never seen nesting snowbirds in the summer here in Virginia. I suppose they tend to those chores further north, but for the next month or two, they will be regulars in many Virginia backyards. Make sure to scatter a few seeds on the ground and you, too, will have a flock of these interesting creatures in your backyard.