The critters definitly are gearing up for the winter. The robins are still flocking in the yard getting ready for the trip south. The sparrows and, what I think are junkos are gorging themselves at the feeders. (Not sure how they're going to get off the ground to leave if they keep eating at this rate.)

And of course the squirrels are still making a general nuisance of themselves.

Where are you? Juncoes spend the winter here, but they haven't arrived yet. I'm not seeing mixed feeding flocks yet, just groups of single species.

Elaine, a small flock of juncos went through here on Monday or Tuesday. I've not seen any since, but I've heard of several reports of them in NJ.

Elaine, do you know of this forum - great info on what birds are where in NJ.

Here is a link that might be useful: JerseyBirds

Some robins seem to leave here in ncentral IL, but some stay. I thought I read that they stayed in NJ also? No?

As winters get shorter and warmer, who knows? Mockingbirds didn't used to come to the north; now they live here year round. Robins are still around, or were a few days ago, but my experience has been that they don't stick around for the winter. I'm in the northeastern corner of NJ.

Elaine: Interestingly, I have seen robins here in the winter.I also have bluebirds here year round. They actually seem to do quite well. I live in Northeastern Massachusetts. I think it depends on where you look. They are not as visible as in the summer when they are right there in the lawn; I have seen them in the edges of the woodlands feeding on fruits and hunkering down when it snows. I'm sure some migrate.

I'm now seeing abundant juncos and the typical winter mixed-species feeding flocks (primarily juncoes, titmice, and chickadees, also sparrows and others). They're having a wonderful time in the prairie gardens. Some feed on the ground, some on the middle of the stalks, some on the tops, just like you see in an ecology book!