Invasion of the siskins

gillwrig · #1 (**permalink**) 01-02-2009, 12:07 PM

Just been looking out of the window and there are siskins everywhere! Don't know where they are all coming from!

There are 6 in the garden , eating sunflower hearts, peanuts and suet pellets and another 8 or so in the trees eating the niger seed! They are even bullying the starlings away from the feeders! Poor blue tits haven't got a chance....

It's like being invaded by a bunch of terroist canaries!!

Ha .. I'm going to need a bigger feeder.

squishy · #2 (**permalink**) 01-02-2009, 12:11 PM

i know! i think there has been a large influx of most wintering birds, i've certainly seen alot more species in my garden this winter!

gillwrig · #3 (**permalink**) 01-02-2009, 12:17 PM

It sounds like a jungle out there .. I'll have the nieghbours round soon complaining no doubt!

Susie · #4 (**permalink**) 01-02-2009, 12:27 PM

I've not had a single siskin this year which is most odd considering the amount of other birds.

Henstooth · #5 (**permalink**) 01-02-2009, 12:52 PM

It's true - there's LOADS of them but I have to say I didn't really know that it was Siskin I was looking at. It was always one of those birds that I'd describe as a "LBJ" - little brown jobby - 'cos I just couldn't get a good enough bead to identify. Once I took a stroll with a fellow (more experienced) birder, I learnt to pick up on some of the finer details and now armed with those skills, I'm seeing them everywhere - It's like when you buy a new car and then you notice that there's loads of 'em on the road !
I don't get Siskin in my garden, but often they dash overhead and now i can tell what that LBJ is! It's worth looking at them just in case you get another species in the flock.