They're everywhere in southern Wisconsin. Here is a sampling of the Dark-eyed Junco portraits I captured just before discovering the Le Conte's Sparrows at Pheasant Branch Conservancy on Sunday. There were around a dozen of the diminutive "snowbirds" devouring seeds a mere 25 feet in front of me. They were unperturbed by my presence and made excellent photographic subjects.
All images © 2012 Mike McDowell