Siskins, along with Redpoll and Brambling, have been more scarce this year in much of England than in recent years. We have seen Siskins a couple of times only, and the others not all, in the garden. There is speculation that this lack of sightings is due to unusually good crops of wild tree-seeds, including a very good year for Sitka Spruce seeds in Scandinavia– lets hope this is the reason, and they’ll be more common
Female Siskin
Male Siskin, with its yellow markings and black bib and cap
Male and female Siskins at the feeder
another winter. Male and female Siskins differ at all times of the year, as can be sen by these photo’s. It is still not too late to catch sight of them, so keep your eyes peeled before leaves come on the trees and the overwintering birds return to their summer haunts. Conditions: Mild but grey, with dense cloud. Temperature: Max 12- Min 5c.
