The annual Siskin visit.

I only get Siskins in the garden for a few days each year, so it was good to get them feeding outside on the patio while I watched the football this afternoon. A few Chaffinches and Goldfinches joined them.

 The males are very much brighter than the females.

Look What Katie Did

This is the carefully placed archway, leading to a "woodland Walk" in Pam's fabulously designed garden. This picture was taken during the 2011 St Margaret's Garden Safari on July 2nd

This weekend Storm Katie took a go at modifying it.

 This rather fine male Brambling has been decorating the garden for the last two days. Like Chaffinches Bramblings get their summer plumage by the wear on their feathers. 

  The soft ends erode to reveal the beautiful breeding plumage.

Not quite completely in summer plumage though, at its best it will loose the pepper and salt head and become glossy black.

The male Siskin on the peanuts was interesting in that for a while the only bird using peanuts in my garden has been Great Spotted Woodpeckers. 

Everything else sticks to Sunflower seeds or fatballs. This one Siskin remained faithful to the nuts while
his buddies ate the seeds.

A double win today.

Last time I ordered sunflower hearts I also ordered a new, and different sort of feeder. This, so the website said, "A specialist sunfower heart feeder featuring a twist and lock lid which is easy to fill with sunflower hearts" and the reviews also stressed how easy it is to clean.

Two things happened today. After three days when hardly a bird had gone near the new feeder I caught a glimpse of a yellow rump disappearing from it, and then two Goldfinches feeding on it.

The significance was double. It looks as if it will be useful and used by my regular customers and secondly I've had a signal that spring is on the way. Each year, around halfway through March, the regular birds are joined for a while by Siskins. The numbers have varied each year and so far this year there have only been about four around the feeders.

In the "old day's" the general wisdom was if you want to attract Siskins you need to put out peanuts in a red plastic mess bag.I think those days have now gone, I certainly try to use as few plastic bags as possible for whatever.

Today they used both types of feeders, but this females seemed to be a regular on the mesh one. I'm looking forward to the number of Siskins building up, if they around as it gets warmer there are normally a few males in song before they move on, and, although not a top song in melodic terms, it has loads of fun and energy.