Surprise Visitor to Feeder

[big bill]

Today had a nice surprise on the feeders ,at first I thought it was a Greenfinch until I got the bins out and checked from the window and found it out to be a Male Siskin at the Niger feeder.By the time I got the camera out the blasted pigeons had frightened it away.

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by big bill

Today had a nice surprise on the feeders ,at first I thought it was a Greenfinch until I got the bins out and checked from the window and found it out to be a Male Siskin at the Niger feeder.By the time I got the camera out the blasted pigeons had frightened it away.

Fantastical Bill

I hope he returns as i'm sure he will

I'm yet to see a Siskin but nothings impossibubble in nature is it!

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by big bill

Today had a nice surprise on the feeders ,at first I thought it was a Greenfinch until I got the bins out and checked from the window and found it out to be a Male Siskin at the Niger feeder.By the time I got the camera out the blasted pigeons had frightened it away.

They're a winter visitor down South, but I've often seen them on the feeders at the Loch Garten RSPB centre in the summer.

Jim

[Stewy]

That is a bit spooky Bill!! I was just about to start a thread about an unknown bird that looked like a Greenfinch that I saw on the Nyger feeder this morning, I too at first thought that it was a Greenfinch but it looked far too small and had a black head, now I know I have seen my first ever Siskin!!!!!

Woooooooooooo Hooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Happy days!

[big bill]

Funny Stewy that ,thats how I was thought it was a Greenfinch until I got the Bins then seen the black head and yellow stripe above the eye beautiful bird ,by the time I got the camera set up the blasted pigeons had scared it off just hope it returns .
Thats 3 first time visitors to my garden I have missed all because camera was not ready,Song Thrush Wren now this Siskin, so left camera set up now just incase

[earthdragon64]

I've seen a couple in my garden as well during the last couple of days, the first since the beginning of winter.

I often get over 25 a day, including fledglings, on my feeders and tables in the summer, but the numbers are always well down in winter.

[Jim Ford]

Like greenfinches, I find siskins grumpy little gits! If there's more than one they spend more time on the feeder squabbling and threatening than actual feeding.

Jim

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Like greenfinches, I find siskins grumpy little gits! If there's more than one they spend more time on the feeder squabbling and threatening than actual feeding.

Jim

It's Goldfinches in my garden that are the grumpy ones, they keep trying to knock each other off the nijer feeders first thing and make quite a loud buzzing noise at each other, and any other birds who want the nijer. Once they've got fed up fighting they move onto the sunflower and peanut feeders and seem quite happy.

Maybe nijer to them is like coffee to me. You can't talk to either of us until we've had our morning "fix".

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

It's Goldfinches in my garden that are the grumpy ones, they keep trying to knock each other off the nijer feeders first thing and make quite a loud buzzing noise at each other

A good description of the noise they make!

Jim

[brenbee]

we get siskins quite often on our feeder. they r quite feisty & will hold their own against the rest of the visitors. by the way a couple of days ago I saw a little brown bird, not unlike a robin. It was'nt a dunnock, sparrow or a robin, not having the red breast. and when It bust into song It was beautiful. but I still do'nt know what It was. I'm hoping It comes back so I can get another look.