Siskin – Ray Colliers Wildlife in The North

male siskinSince the middle of March there have been changes in the number of birds coming into feeding stations in gardens. One or two bramblings have suddenly turned up including males well into their breeding plumage but they only stayed a couple of days. They will be on their way to Scandinavia to their breeding grounds as only one or two pairs stay to breed in the Highlands, or for that matter the UK. In contrast a small number of greenfinches have started coming into feeders, mainly peanuts, and as I write there is an adult male calling with those odd sounding “wheezing” notes outside the window. Three yellow hammers have joined the large numbers of chaffinches and two of them are males and their striking yellow feathers make them stand out amongst the other small birds.

There have also been changes in the behaviour of some small birds such as the long-tailed tits. Up until the end of the first week in March there were two parties of these tiny birds coming to the feeders. One party was of twelve whilst the other was of eight. In both cases the birds were interested in the suet balls in their special feeder but in each case all the birds could not get enough room so they spilled over onto the nearby peanuts feeders. In the last two weeks the parties of birds have obviously split up as only pairs of long-tailed tits are coming in. At least they have the suet balls to themselves.

One bird, perhaps my favourite garden feeder bird, that has made a welcome return in the last two weeks has been the siskin. Admittedly in the last winter there has been the occasional siskin at a feeder but nowhere near the numbers that there usually are. Presumably this is because the more natural food in the surrounding countryside has been sufficient for the birds to feed there. This would be the seeds from spruce and pine trees although they will freely take seed from alder and silver birches. They will also take seeds from plants such as thistle and docks and, in the summer, they will take insects. Whatever the reason for their absence they were welcome back as I always refer to them as the “green jewels in the crown”.

At the garden feeders they will go for the mixed grain and the peanuts but by far their preference are the feeders filled with nyjer. Now the males and females are clambering to get onto the three nyjer feeders in my garden and I just cannot resist photographing them. The bird in the photograph is an adult male with the characteristic black cap that varies in extent from male to male. There is a great deal of aggression between the siskins at the feeders and the feeders regularly need topping up. This is unfortunate in one sense as it is one of the most expensive bird foods to put out and my sources tell me that the price has gone up yet again in the last two weeks!
What is always interesting in watching garden birds is that you can see how their breeding season is progressing and the siskin is no exception. For the next couple of weeks the males and female will be at the feeders. Then it is mainly the males and you will know the females have started to lay their clutch of eggs. The male will be taking food to the female. Then both birds start coming in again and the chicks will have hatched and both adults will take food to them. Then the first striped juveniles appear and the cycle, depending on the weather, will start over again with a second brood.

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