Have you been Siskinned yet?

My mum and dad rang me last night excited about the finch-fest going on in their Worcestershire garden at the moment.

A number of Redpolls have been visiting for about 3 or 4 winters now. And this year a trio of Bramblings have joined the party.

But they’ve now been joined by a little troupe of Siskins, providing yet another splash of colour and variety to the gardening mix. And I’m hearing that for many other people Siskins are visiting in larger numbers than usual at the moment.

If you are unfamiliar with Siskins, they are small, dainty finches, overall looking rather greenish and streaky, but with contrasting black-and-lime wing markings. The males are especially dapper with a black crown. I usually like to bring you photos taken this week, but given that they aren’t in my garden, I’ve had to dig into my archives for one I photographed in 2009 with a Goldfinch. It's only a female, so imagine how lovely the males look.

Most of the year Siskins breed in conifer woods, but in winter they often flock along waterside Alder trees or in Birch trees feeding on the catkins. However, about 20 years ago, they learnt to visit garden feeders but they tend to only do so once natural food supplies have run out, usually in March.

On sunny days, you may even be lucky enough to hear the males singing, a happy if wheezy little ditty that goes on and on and sounds like a whole flock of birds instead of just one.

Have you been Siskinned yet in your garden? (It’s a new verb, but I’m sure it will catch on). If not, eyes peeled, they could be coming your way soon...