Pine Siskin invasion - Wildlife Gardeners

FLNPSwebmeister · 01-09-2009, 03:33 PM

Here in central New York we're having a delightful invasion of pine siskins. They especially like my thistle feeder and in recent days I've seen as many as thirty at one time. Any one else seeing an unusually large number of these birds?

TheLorax · 01-09-2009, 07:46 PM

We see these little pretties mostly in winter. We saw more of them last year than this year. Last year we also had redpolls. That was a first. They do like the thistle seed but I have watched them eating birch seed.

NEWisc · 01-09-2009, 08:44 PM

We've also enjoyed an invasion of pine siskins here in northern Wisconsin this year. In some years, we don't see any all season. Ours are dining on the black oil sunflower seeds. Black oil sunflower and suet have been the most sought out foods here, so that's all we've offered this year.

Along with the pine siskins we have purple finches, chickadees, goldfinches, mourning doves, tree sparrows, juncos, red and white breasted nuthatches; downy, hairy and red breasted woodpeckers, cardinals and blue jays as daily visitors.

Prairiefreak · 01-09-2009, 08:54 PM

Never seen a pine siskin or redpoll this far south, though last year there was an irruption of chestnut sided nut-hatches. They were very tame, and I could stand within 2 feet of them while they were on our feeders. it was an amazing experience to be this/close to these little birds.

doccat5 · 01-10-2009, 08:47 PM

We don't have them here either. sigh But the cardinal families are back

biigblueyes · 01-11-2009, 02:46 PM

I'm sooooo out of my league here. I know the cardinals, and the mourning dove, but the others are just "skinny little birdie" or "cute fat one".

I did manage to pick out ducks flying overhead today by the sound, so I guess I'm not COMPLETELY hopeless.

Leslie · 01-11-2009, 05:15 PM

The last time I saw pine siskins at my feeders was about 20 years ago. They don't usually come this far south (South Louisiana), but they're here this year. They're going for thistle & black oil sunflower seed. Pretty cool!

trout lily · 01-11-2009, 09:23 PM

We are having a pine siskin irruption in New Hampshire too. For the past week, I have had 30 to 40 pine siskin a day. Never before. I usually have mourning doves, titmice, black capped chickadees, American goldfinches, and white breasted huthatch. I've read that NH is the southern edge of their range and they only come here after big storms in Canada. When the food is gone at my house, they will move to the next area they find food. I've been refilling my birdfeeders at an alarming rate. They certainly are feisty birds. They scare off the goldfinches easily; the chickadees avoid them. Only the junkos go one on one.

TheLorax · 01-11-2009, 09:33 PM

A pine siskin eruption! All you lucky ducks out there!

FLNPSwebmeister · 01-14-2009, 04:31 PM

Several people around here (central New York) are reporting seeing "Green Morph" pine siskins. These are yellower than the normal Pine Siskin. Have you ever observed these?

01-09-2009, 03:33 PM	#1
FLNPSwebmeister Carbon Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Finger Lakes Region, New York, USA	Pine Siskin invasion Here in central New York we're having a delightful invasion of pine siskins. They especially like my thistle feeder and in recent days I've seen as many as thirty at one time. Any one else seeing an unusually large number of these birds?

01-09-2009, 07:46 PM	#2
TheLorax Unicellular Fungi Join Date: Nov 2008	We see these little pretties mostly in winter. We saw more of them last year than this year. Last year we also had redpolls. That was a first. They do like the thistle seed but I have watched them eating birch seed. __________________ "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist

01-09-2009, 08:44 PM	#3
NEWisc Fox Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin	We've also enjoyed an invasion of pine siskins here in northern Wisconsin this year. In some years, we don't see any all season. Ours are dining on the black oil sunflower seeds. Black oil sunflower and suet have been the most sought out foods here, so that's all we've offered this year. Along with the pine siskins we have purple finches, chickadees, goldfinches, mourning doves, tree sparrows, juncos, red and white breasted nuthatches; downy, hairy and red breasted woodpeckers, cardinals and blue jays as daily visitors. __________________ . Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old.

01-11-2009, 09:23 PM	#8
trout lily Grub Join Date: Dec 2008	Pine siskin in New Hampshire We are having a pine siskin irruption in New Hampshire too. For the past week, I have had 30 to 40 pine siskin a day. Never before. I usually have mourning doves, titmice, black capped chickadees, American goldfinches, and white breasted huthatch. I've read that NH is the southern edge of their range and they only come here after big storms in Canada. When the food is gone at my house, they will move to the next area they find food. I've been refilling my birdfeeders at an alarming rate. They certainly are feisty birds. They scare off the goldfinches easily; the chickadees avoid them. Only the junkos go one on one.

01-11-2009, 09:33 PM	#9
TheLorax Unicellular Fungi Join Date: Nov 2008	A pine siskin eruption! All you lucky ducks out there! __________________ "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist

01-09-2009, 08:54 PM	#4
Prairiefreak Heron Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NE IL, USA	Never seen a pine siskin or redpoll this far south, though last year there was an irruption of chestnut sided nut-hatches. They were very tame, and I could stand within 2 feet of them while they were on our feeders. it was an amazing experience to be this/close to these little birds.

01-10-2009, 08:47 PM	#5
doccat5 Big Fat juicy WORM Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia, USA	We don't have them here either. sigh But the cardinal families are back

01-11-2009, 02:46 PM	#6
biigblueyes WG Facilitator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cajun Country, Louisiana, USA	I'm sooooo out of my league here. I know the cardinals, and the mourning dove, but the others are just "skinny little birdie" or "cute fat one". I did manage to pick out ducks flying overhead today by the sound, so I guess I'm not COMPLETELY hopeless.

01-11-2009, 05:15 PM	#7
Leslie Salamander Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Olympia, WA	The last time I saw pine siskins at my feeders was about 20 years ago. They don't usually come this far south (South Louisiana), but they're here this year. They're going for thistle & black oil sunflower seed. Pretty cool!

01-14-2009, 04:31 PM	#10
FLNPSwebmeister Carbon Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Finger Lakes Region, New York, USA	Several people around here (central New York) are reporting seeing "Green Morph" pine siskins. These are yellower than the normal Pine Siskin. Have you ever observed these?

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