Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Pine Siskin


Hello nature lovers- I'm back in the game, at least temporarily.  After a six week break from my computer, I finally got it back up and running again.  I've been photographing things along the way, like this Pine Siskin that was hanging out at Deer Haven Preserve on Saturday.  I've never photographed this species, so I was lucky to get this one perfect pose.  If you aren't familiar with pine siskins, they're a type of finch that often migrates southward from coniferous forests further north.  The species  occasionally "irrupts" in large numbers when the food supply is low in the boreal forests.  This one was feeding with a flock of 20 plus goldfinches feeding on nyger and sunflower seed- if I wasn't tipped off by naturalist Kim at Deer Haven, I probably would have never noticed it.

Tom

10 comments:

  1. A friend of mine saw a Bohemian Waxwing in the Finger Lakes region of western NY today... it could be an interesting winter for these irruptive northern species :)

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  2. Paul- Very interesting! We may be in for quite a winter. A Bohemian Waxwing showed up in NE Ohio a few winters ago and it proved quite difficult to find.

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  3. Quite an interesting find for this time of year! I had a Purple Finch at my feeders yesterday, which is a bird I usually don't see until December, if at all. I think the irruptive species numbers may be high this winter!

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  4. Hi Tom ..you need to come visit you wifes folks in the winter ; } ...flocks of Pine Siskin and Redpolls come into the feeders when the weather gets tough here in Maine!!
    Great photo and lucky for you!! : }

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  5. I was WONdering how in the world you got so close to them. Nice work.

    When I first learned about them (via birder friend) at Mount Rainier NP they were present and audible, but WAYYYYYY up in the TIPPY top of tall conifers. Impossible to see except as very small silhouettes. But, cool sounds.

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  6. I just started birding this past winter, so there's so much I don't know. I would have mistakenly identified this as being a female house finch. In the past I have thought that I have seen house finches at my nyger feeder that seemed to have unusually dark wings. Now I am wondering if I've actually seen pine siskin at my feeders. I've taken some photos, so I'll probably taking another look at them. :)

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  7. great work, nice photo from this bird species.

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  8. Beautiful bird! Great timing.

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  9. Great photo of the pine siskin. Glad you are back

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  10. Heather- Bring them on. I'd love to see a purple finch here in Ohio- I get to see them in the summer in Maine, they're really quite spectacular.

    Grammie- You know what? I should be seeing redpolls and siskins when I visit them- I haven't, but maybe I'm not looking hard enough- at their sunflower feeders during the winter, they mostly get chickadees and nuthatches (red and white)

    Biobabbler- I'd love to hear them sing, this would be something new to me.

    Deb- The streaking on these birds is really what makes them stand out- Also, their beak is a little more delicate than the other finches- and it comes to a really sharp point.

    Thank you Tuga!

    Chris- Thanks so much. My wife and I enjoy the print of your mist Maine print every day!

    Appalachian Lady- Thanks! And it is great to be back.

    Tom

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