[Tweeters] Subject: Pine Siskins

[Dee Dee]

Responding to Trileigh’s post about Pine Siskins from here in Edmonds area; what I noticed pretty much agrees with what Trileigh noted. 
I have not seen as many at a time this winter as had in November (10) and December 2020 (15), and December 2021 (9)— in e-bird reports. Keeping in mind I am not a consistent e-bird reporter short of more notable bird days. Also, I am retired and really wasn’t home any more or less in 2020-21 than is usual during those months so that removes any at-home-more-than-usual bias for my input. 

2022 was a notable Siskin winter here, in that I didn’t report any Siskins after April and May and recall my surprise as the winter went on and they were basically no-shows. 

This 2023-2024 winter I saw fewer than the ravenous hordes in 2020, with two January 2024 reports of (6) and (3). I do recall seeing at least 10 at once in our feeder area earlier this winter, but it didn’t happen to be a day I took notes for an e-bird post. 
Since those early January sightings I have noticed anywhere from none, up to 4 Siskins on any given day, but most often 1, and next most often, 2, so, not siskin-specific flocking. Since we have up to around 6 and up to 8 goldfinches on a daily basis (goldfinches year-round but even more at times) the Siskins (not seen year-round) just sort of slide in amongst them off and on. 
And of course besides regularly but only occasionally-seen yard birds such as pileated or downy woodpeckers, and Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks, we do have house finches, as well as the other year-round yard birds — Bewick’s wrens, bushtits, juncos, towhees, song sparrows, white- and gold-crowned sparrows, about even numbers of both red-shafted and intergrade flickers, starlings (fortunately not every day), crows, red-winged blackbirds. We see Bald Eagles just about every day during the appropriate times of year but the closest one came to being an actual yard bird was sitting on the top of the utility pole at the corner of  our lot. Good enough!
Thank you Trileigh, for bringing up the siskin discussion; I am interested to hear what is said regarding that. 

Dee W
Edmonds
 


> Message: 3

> Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:32:45 +0000

> From: Trileigh Tucker <TRI at seattleu.edu>

> To: "tweeters at u.washington.edu" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] Pine Siskins

> 

> Hi Tweets,

> 

> On Sunday afternoon 2/11, I was walking in my West Seattle neighborhood when I realized that a small tree ahead of me was full of chattery finches: not only House Finches and American Goldfinches, but also Pine Siskins.

> 

> It?s been a long time ? months to a year or longer ? since I?ve encountered a bunch of siskins. They?ve never been vastly abundant in my yard, but I seem to remember seeing them more often, usually in small groups.

> 

> I seem to remember reading on Tweeters about others noticing a lack of siskins, but a search of the archives doesn?t turn up many recent reports. I?m curious about others? experience; have you noticed a lack followed by recent sightings?

> 

> I did screengrabs of eBird sightings from Dec-Feb for the past 6 years, and by far the most sightings were recorded this year and in 2020-2021?but I think there?s a chance that that 2020-21 increase in sightings may have been at least partly due to you-know-what and everyone suddenly home and available to look for siskins.

> 

> The Finch Research Network<https://finchnetwork.org/western-irruption-alert-pine-grosbeaks-cassins-finches-and-others-making-record-movements> predicted an irruption this year, with indicators noted as far back as July/August. So it?s interesting to see that that might be showing up now. What have you noticed?

> 

> Thanks much,

> Trileigh

> 

> 

> Trileigh Tucker

> Pelly Valley, West Seattle