After an absence of several months, the Pine Siskins have
returned to our backyard feeders…with a vengeance!Bob Morse’ “Birds of the Puget Sound Region”
describes them as migratory and nomadic, with unpredictable local
abundance.Over the years I’ve noticed
this to be true.They are here one
minute then they disappear!They were
regular visitors early last Spring, but then all of a sudden--they were gone.We started seeing a few of them just after
Christmas--perhaps the cold and snowy weather brought them back.Now they’re arriving in good size
flocks.They’ve always been one of my
favorite feeder birds.I don’t know why—I
think it’s their behavior at the feeder.We have a cherry tree adjacent to their favorite feeder, which is on the
corner of the deck.We have a large
spiral feeder at that spot so it can accommodate up to a dozen birds at a
time.The Siskins will perch on the
tree, waiting for an open spot on the feeder.So there’s a regular rotation of birds from the tree to the feeder and
back again.Thinking about it, I guess
it’s their social nature that appeals to me.They’re like a large group of chatty friends, out for a jaunt!They
always look like they’re enjoying themselves!
