Pine Siskin Swarm!

feeding from the ground at the main office.

 We were joyfully invaded this week by a large flock of Pine Siskins


You usually hear them long before you see them. Their conversation is described as a wheezy twitter, but it's wonderful to hear after they have been absent.  In fact, their songs are varied, and lovely.  The males string together husky, whispering trills, slurs, and short ascending notes into songs lasting 3–13 seconds.

Admittedly, their songs are generally more nasal or wheezy than those of other finches. Song phrases are sometimes punctuated by "watch-winding" or "churry" notes.  You can listen to them here at this link.




This nomadic finch ranges widely and erratically across the continent each winter in response to seed crops.

Thank you Robin Tapley for this wonderful close up!

 Better suited to clinging to branch tips than to hopping along the ground, these brown-streaked acrobats flash yellow wing markings as they flutter while feeding or as they explode into flight.




Flocks are gregarious and when they sweep in, they can empty out the feeder pretty swiftly.



Off I went to purchase more nyger seed, although they are also quite happy with mixed seed, and even sunflowers.

our friend Sharon Stock Feren caught this image!

They suddenly seem to be everywhere -- all our neighbours are also reporting flocks of these cheerful and colourful little birds at their feed stations too.