[Birdtalk] Pine Siskin Occurence in Ogden

[Kristin Purdy]

I know that Pine Siskins tend to be a winter bird for some due to the bird's 
more frequent occurence at lower elevations at that time, but that's not 
true in Ogden. Ogden's Pine Siskins must think this city is located at a 
much higher elevation. Pine Siskins are year-round visitors at my feeders.

This past winter, Pine Siskins visited my thistle socks in low numbers but 
regularly. I usually saw one or two birds a couple times a week, duking it 
out with the predominant winter finch species on the socks, Lesser 
Goldfinches. On a particular snowy day, I saw the most siskins of any day 
this past winter--eight.

In February, March, and April, the dominant species distinctly changed when 
large numbers of American Goldfinches took over the two socks. The few 
siskins competed well at the socks, but the Lesser Goldfinches were 
relegated to the tube feeder or they showed up at off-peak hours.

Another change in species occured at about Memorial Day. The American 
Goldfinches, by then resplendent in alternate plumage, disappeared 
completely from the yard and Pine Siskins took over. Their numbers grew and 
grew and sometimes I counted more than twenty birds at a time on the two 
socks or squabbling on nearby branches. An opportunistic neighborhood cat 
discovered the frenzy and caught siskins and stacked them up like cordwood 
under a shrub until I discovered it; I took the feeder down rather than 
continued to feed the cat.

The two-month season of the siskin seemed to be over by about the end of 
July. Once again, the dominant species changed and the Lesser Goldfinches 
have returned in droves. One or two siskins always were present; now, their 
numbers are on the increase again. Sometimes, the sock is loaded only with 
siskins. I'm once again filling two socks about every four days.

I have to assume sock watchers in Cache County have experienced the same 
year-round presence of Pine Siskins. Stephen Peterson and I have compared 
notes and have learned our bird reports and timing tend to be very similar. 
So Stephen, Buck, and Connie, what are you seeing for Pine Siskins in your 
yards?

Kris