[Douglbirds] Pine Siskins

[jilllovesbirds at comcast.net]

I am getting at least 9 Pine Siskins at my feeders (there's only room for 6 at a time on the niger feeder, so they may be limited by that) at a time in the mornings.  I haven't been home to see how it goes the rest of the day, but I have noticed that the niger seed has really been disappearing fast.  I am getting a few goldfinches along with the siskins, but the siskins tend to be pretty aggressive and chase a lot of the goldfinches away when they are at the feeder.

Jill Holden
Roxborough Village

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: KarenSMetz at cs.com 
I'm simply curious about the current irruption of Pine Siskins.  

How wide-spread is it?  Are siskins being seen in high numbers all over Franktown, Parker, Roxborough, Elizabeth, Castle Rock, and other subscribers' homes?  Are you seeing goldfinches with them?  

In the Deerfield part of Franktown, the PISI population at my home is at least 12 dozen (also known as a 'gross').  My neighbor a half mile away has (at concurrent times) even more than that.  They're all over the monarda and salvias that are going to seed and at the sunflower and nyjer seed feeders.  I haven't witnessed this large a late summer irruption for a few years.

Other very recent visitors here:  Green-tailed Towhees and Yellow-rumped Warblers bathing in the garden,  Cassin's Vireos and Western Tanagers singing, Wilson's Warblers in the shubbery. 

Thanks for your replies!
Karen Metz
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From: KarenSMetz at cs.com
Subject: [Douglbirds] Pine Siskins
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