Sunday, March 18, 2007

Winter returns


We woke to a sunny sky that quickly darkened and the morning was punctuated with minor blizzards driven by a chill north-westerly. As usual the snow brought more birds to the feeders and Chaffinch numbers shot up to 85 at a time; Goldfinch to at least 21 at a time and Greenfinch to 10 or so. For the first time this winter Siskin numbers were >1 with a pair on the kitchen peanut/sunflower mix. The male of the pair had a metal BTO type ring on the right leg - unfortunately it disappeared between me getting the camera and getting back or it might have been readable. An hour or so later there were a pair of Siskin on the front Nyger feeder, but this time the male had no ring. So certainly 3 Siskin today and more likely 4. Later in the afternoon Siskin were calling from the Larch wood at the back. Maybe these are last year's breeders returned?

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