Counting pine siskens is easier if you have a digital camera and a home printer. What I've done in the past is photograph the feeder and deck full of siskens and then, within a second or two, photograph the tree where they hang out. Print out an 8X11 photo then grid the photo into sections then start counting. One photo I had from a couple years ago had 258 siskens at the feeder and on the ground.

My feeders are hosting an ever growing flock of pine siskens at present. The flock started out at around 30 and now there are between 65 and 75 birds. They are very feisty little guys and gals and it's fun watching their defensive behaviour on the tube feeder.

And they are very adept at getting food from other birds if necessary. A couple years ago I ran out of thistle feed for the 258 siskens so they were having to make do with sunflower seeds. A flock of red crossbills was also hanging out at my place and they are very good at cracking open sunflower seeds. The siskens figured out how to harass the crossbills into dropping the hulled kernels and went as far at stealing seed from the crossbills beaks (photo available upon request).

The deck feeding birds give me good reason to look out of doors despite the incessant rain.


Mary Hrudkaj
Belfair/Tahuya
hrudkajm at hotmail.com


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