Greetings all:
I still had about 36 Pine Siskins in my yard yesterday (roughly a
dozen at each of three socks). My peak count this morning has been
nine. The reduction is probably due to a combination of normal
migratory movements and unfortunate circumstances that occur in the
midst of very strong irruptive events.
In some states (South Carolina, Oregon, and California have all made
the news with salmonella outbreaks amongst finch populations this
winter), the species is dealing with salmonella outbreaks due to
several factors, chief of which is the intensity of the siskin's
irruptive event which is crowding birds at feeders. This can be
alleviated, somewhat, by keeping platform feeders clean and by
regularly removing seed debris from beneath hanging feeders such as
socks. I don't put too much stock in taking feeders down as siskins
are social feeders and it is the contact between siskins that is the
issue; they crowd at natural food sources as well. There are those
that disagree with me on this.
Anthony Hewetson