Siskins in short supply.

Things had been looking quite promising for Siskins in the garden this spring with birds starting to visit the feeders back in late December and then more regularly through January and into early February. Up to five were seen visiting the feeders in late December and that increased to between five and ten through January and into early February but then numbers fell away. That sudden and unexpected drop off in numbers was also mirrored by Goldfinches and other species so it wasn't just a Siskin thing which makes it a bit harder to understand.

The prospects for the spring looked to be good at the end of January with up to 10 Siskins visiting the feeders.

This is one of 7 feeders in the garden. All were well used in late January and needed topping up or filling every day.

The drop off in numbers of all species started ahead of the spell of exceptionally warm weather that came in late February but that doesn't mean the weather wasn't a factor. Temperatures could be involved as it has been quite a mild winter overall but wet or dry conditions can make a difference too. Cones on alder and conifers open and close in response to moisture levels which can make their seeds more or less easily accessible and their productivity also varies from year to year. The mild conditions have caused some tree buds to develop early and willow catkins to emerge which are another energy rich food source for Siskins and other finches. The fact that Siskins are variable migrants in terms of numbers and distances involved and can be very early breeders all adds to the complexity but it is all food related in one way or another. Bottom line it is currently looking like being a relatively poor spring for Siskins in my garden this year. Currently a maximum of three are visiting the feeders at any one time and then only on a fairly intermittent basis. If it was going to be a good spring for Siskins I would expect counts to be in double figures by now (18 were ringed in the garden on 6th March last year) with birds being seen in the garden throughout much of the day.

Ringing revealed there were a few more Siskins visiting the feeders than the counts alone had indicated, as is often the case, but the overall picture was the same. At least 7 different individuals visited the feeders in late December and one of those was a retrap that was originally ringed in February 2018. In January and February a total of 16 different individuals were captured: of these 12 were new birds, 3 were retraps that had been ringed in December and another retrap had been ringed in December 2017. In the past Siskins were exclusively late winter and spring visitors to the feeders but the last few years have seen small numbers arriving much earlier in the winter with some being ringed returning birds. It will be interesting to see if this trend of early arrival and winter to winter retraps continues or even increases in the coming years.

Male Siskin 31/01/2019.
I took a series of photographs of this bird and managed to read part of the ring number which pointed to it being one of the returning wintering birds.

Female Siskin 31/01/2019

There is still time for numbers to increase as we move further into spring but any build up in numbers will be much later than usual and is likely to involve fewer birds than last year, if it happens at all.  

Waxwing lyrical part 4

The much anticipated and hoped for Waxwing flock did not materialise yesterday. Three did not become nine or any other number as none visited the garden and it was well watched all day. To add to my disappointment the auto focus and image stabilisation had packed in on my zoom lens too.

This morning the wind was very light so I decided to put up an 18ft net in the garden to try and catch some of the many Siskins that have been visiting the feeders. There have been around 20 to 30 Siskins coming to the garden for the past couple of weeks which is exceptional compared with recent winters. Some of the Siskins are particularly fond of the fat cakes that I make from a mixture of finely chopped peanuts and dripping.

Siskins (Carduelis spinus)

As I was putting the net up I heard the distinctive call of a Waxwing and a single bird landed in a tree above me. The bird watched me as I finished off putting up the net and then it started to feed on the apples as soon as I went back in the house. It was the same adult female that first visited the garden on Wednesday 13th Feb and is identifiable by some missing feathers on the right side of the neck.



Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

Waxwings are a gregarious species in winter so it is interesting that this bird returned alone after a day's absence. It obviously found an alternative food supply yesterday along with the two birds that accompanied it on Thursday so why did it come back alone today? Anyway I am glad that it did and it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days.

Back to the ringing and a good number of Siskins were caught with 12 new birds and 2 retraps. This brings the total ringed to 28 in just over a week.

Siskin (Carduelis spinus)

Garden ringing totals 16/02/13 with retraps in brackets.
Siskin 12 (2)
Goldfinch 3
Long-tailed Tit 3 (1)
Robin 1
Wren 1
Totals 20 (3)

Waxwing lyrical part 3

I got up at around 07:30 to an almost bird free garden. All the snow had been cleared by overnight rain and it wasn't particularly cold. After about half an hour I had almost given up hope of the Waxwing returning, alone or with any mates. Siskins and Goldfinches started to arrive along with the Fieldfare and a few other bits and bobs. Then to my delight a Waxwing appeared and started feeding on one of the many apples. It was the same bird as yesterday having a few feathers missing from the right side of its neck. That was pleasing enough but she had brought some more of her kind and another two were sat higher up in the same tree. Presumably there is a communal roost somewhere and the two new birds followed her to the garden.

 

The two new birds didn't seem as keen on apples at first but they soon got the hang of twisting off pieces and settled down to feed. One of the new birds was an adult and the other a first winter bird. They were flushed by a neighbours cat after half an hour or so, much to my annoyance. That particular cooking fat is a real nuisance in the garden at times.





Spot the Waxwing, yes there is one. This is the scene of all the action. A relatively small front garden by a fairly busy road. The pale patches on the lawn are all the sunflower hearts the Siskins and Goldfinches discard. They are real messy feeders.

The original bird came back on its own after a while so I thought the other two hadn't really taken to apples after all. I needn't have worried though and all 3 birds returned to feed twice during the afternoon. It will be interesting to see how many Waxwings, if any, return in the morning. The wind is forecast to be quite light so I may put a net up if it is still enough. The garden was buzzing with Siskins and Goldfinches again so I could be spoilt for choice.

Waxwing lyrical part 2

The much hoped for Waxwings did not return to the garden on Monday or Tuesday but the garden still held plenty of birds. A mixed flock of at least 50 Siskins and Goldfinches were getting through much of the contents of 5 feeders each day. The Fieldfare continued to hog the apples and keep the Blackbird at bay although it would tolerate them to a degree if they fed on the ground.

I am off work for a few days now but started the morning in a bit of a panic because I thought I had lost my phone when out at a meeting last night. After ringing round and searching high and low I phoned the phone company to get it blocked but shortly after, to my relief and embarrassment, it was found under the couch. Panic over I settled down with a coffee to watch the birds in the garden. It had been snowing for a couple of hours and the garden was alive with birds. The Goldfinches and Siskins were joined by a Brambling, a very rare visitor to the garden. House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Starlings, four species of tit, Robins and Dunnocks etc. Generally what you would call buzzing.

Just a few of the Siskins and a Goldfinch at two of the feeders.

After another coffee I noticed the Fieldfare feeding on apple halves in the tree a few feet from the window. I then glanced up and realised there was Waxwing feeding on an apple just above it. I grabbed the camera and took some record shots through the window. It was quite dull as it was still snowing so the shutter speeds were quite low but one or two of the results weren't too bad.

Record shot of the Fieldfare and Waxwing taken through the double glazing.

Another photo taken through the double glazing. The bird was aged and sexed as an adult female based on the number of red waxy tips and the white edges to all the inner webs of the primary tips

I watched it feeding for a while. The Fieldfare made a brief challenge but the Waxwing held its ground. The two birds then seemed to have the measure of each other and happily fed in fairly close proximity at times. After a while I went upstairs and half lowered the blinds, I then opened the window, slowly and carefully. The Waxwing wasn't bothered by this and continued to feed about 20ft from the open window and my camera. The light remained fairly poor and the snow turned to fine hail, then sleet then rain. I got a bit shutter happy anyway and fired off loads of shots, a few of which are presented below.

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

adult female Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus). The diffuse edge to the bib is another character of females.

The bird stayed feeding in the garden until dusk. Hopefully she will be back tomorrow and will bring a few friends. There are a lot more apples waiting for them if she does.