Do they do it on purpose?!

Ginger cat started stalking the garden halfway through BGBW and scared the solitary goldfinch away.  Half an hour after submitting my report all the missing goldfinches arrived and haven't moved away from the feeders since! Fewer birds this year but we've had a very mild winter in Norfolk so hopefully it's just a sign that the birds aren't relying on us so much this year. Disappointed our siskins haven't been around for a while.