06
Nov

Pine Siskins! And our regular winter visitors …..

Jim sent me this photo, also. Not much yellow on this Pine Siskin at all. Just that tiny patch on the folded wing. The amount of yellow varies from siskin to siskin. Notice there is a hint of a crescent at the eye. Not all siskins show this and on some, the crescent is more pronounced – again variation between siskins. But when a Pine Siskin shows a crescent at the eye, it now is similar to a female Purple Finch. Look at each finch carefully at your feeders. Never assume a small flock of them eating and fighting are all one species! Photo by Jim Oettel.
Our good friend Jim sent me this photo of one of his bird feeders. On the left is a male House Finch and on the right is a Pine Siskin. They do look similar – especially on a cloudy fall day when they are flitting about. The male House Finch will always have red tints on his head and if you can see the rump, it will also be red. The Pine Siskin will never have any red. Look for tints and small patches of yellow on its fanned tail and on the folded wings. This bird generally has one obvious wing-bar and a second smaller one. Both can be either creamy, dingy, or look yellowish. And remember, the female House Finch resembles the Pine Siskin even more than the male does. Photo by Jim Oettel.

As of this past weekend, there are now two Pine Siskins from time to time on the platform feeder.  Sometimes it is just the two of them and other times they are with the goldfinches.  You have to look hard to see the bit of yellow on the wing-bars of the siskins’ folded wings, but it is there.  This is a new sighting for us here at our feeders.  I have always looked for them – looked carefully at each goldfinch and House Finch, but never saw one.  Our good friends Jim and Judy who live 30 miles north of us have them at their feeders almost every year.  Cleon and I were very happy to finally see two of them here.

Pins Siskins resemble their cousins the House Finches (particularly the female) and the female Purple Finch.  All three species can be at your feeders or in your yard or favorite park in fall and winter.  Never assume the flock of finches – or little brown birds – you are watching are all one species.  Try to get your binoculars fixed on each bird of the flock.  Remember, Pine Siskins most always have a bit of yellow either on their folded wings or on their fanned tails – sometimes in both places.  I also think the brown and dark striping on their backs is more pronounced – darker and more obvious – than on either of the other finches.  The male House Finch has a reddish head and rump, and female has no red or yellow anywhere.  The female Purple Finch has no red or yellow but does have an obvious tweedy crescent above each eye.  The Pine Siskin can have a crescent, but not always.  When it does, it is generally not as obvious as on the female Purple Finch.

Now for the two Pines Siskins at our feeders – and hopefully as fall turns into winter, there will be more.  These two Pine Siskins have a tinge of yellow on those wing-bars.  And their striped backs are darker – the striping is more pronounced.  What threw me at first is both have a fairly obvious crescent above the eye and the Pine Siskins I have observed in other places had crescents but none as obvious as these two, I sent a photo into Merlin who confirmed – Pine Siskins.

And our Juncos have returned!  Cleon counted five in our front yard.  You might see them at the bird feeders.  From now on, we will put more white millet onto the platform feeder as that is one of their favorite seeds.  But in my experience, Juncos really do not like to forage that far above the ground – even though it is a flat and stationary surface.  You will see them more often on the ground under the feeders.

Our American Goldfinches have also returned and now you will see the level of the seed in the thistle feeder go own – they love that nijer (thistle) seed.  They will also use the platform feeder.  If you were watching the live-stream on Saturday, you would have seen 4 of these goldfinches explode into a terrible fight right on the platform feeder.  They went at it beak and talon with strongly flapping wings for about 5 seconds.  Not long in duration but it was so intense I was sure there would be a dead body or two on that feeder.  But all flew away unharmed – it was all posturing.  But it was very convincing posturing from my viewpoint looking out our window!  I have no idea what set them off, but finches are feisty and seem ready to go at it with any bird – anytime and anywhere.

And the woodpeckers are devouring the suet – most especially the Downys.  Things are getting interesting again at the feeders!

Now if only the rain would stop!  We have had rain every day for almost a week and everything outside is a sodden, muddy mess. And there is some flooding.  Before this period of rain, we were in a drought for about 2 months with quite low humidity and restricted burning.  The old adage is true – feast or famine!