week of 2/18/04
 
 
 


The Naturalist's Corner
By Don Hendershot

As I sit downstairs on this dreary morning, obviously avoiding my computer screen to look out the window I immediately see a horde of hungry finches. The mixed flock must number nearly 100 and is made up of mostly pine siskins and a number of goldfinches. While most of the horde battles for position on the thistle feeder, at least 30 have hit the ground beneath the feeder to take advantage of the seeds shaken out from all the jostling.

Earlier this fall, birders across the Atlantic states were predicting that this winter would be a good one for “irrupter” species like evening grosbeaks, pine siskins and other winter finches.

It was beginning to look like that wasn’t going to happen, at least not at my feeders. From November through early February I would get a few purple finches and maybe one or two siskins mixed in with the more common goldfinches. With this last little flurry of snow activity and whizzing fronts, I began to notice a regular entourage of six to eight purple finches.

Then, this week, pine siskin numbers began to grow. One day, instead of two with the goldfinches there were 10. The next day there were 20. By Friday of last week the flock was split evenly, about 25 siskins and 25 goldfinches. The six to eight purple finches were still regular buffet customers. By Sunday it was evident that the siskins were overtaking the goldfinches in numbers and by Monday morning there was a full frontal assault on the thistle feeder.

The pine siskin is goldfinch size — 4.5 to 5.25 inches with a wingspan of 8 to 9 inches. At a quick glance it may superficially resemble a winter-plumaged goldfinch. But it is much more heavily streaked. The back is brown with heavier brown streaking and the underside is white with heavy brown streaking. Winter goldfinches are brown to brownish gray above and pale yellowish gray beneath with no streaking. In flight the two are easily distinguishable because of the siskin’s flash of yellow created by its yellow flight feathers and yellow feathers at the base of its tail.

While these guys may be small they have a large appetite. I have a thistle feeder that is about three feet tall and they, along with the goldfinches have been draining well over a foot a day out of it.

While my purple finch numbers are not unusually high, it appears that this has been a good winter for them. Bill Hilton Jr., director of the Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History near York, S.C., reportedly has banded 617 purple finches since Jan. 1.

It’s getting late, but I still have my fingers crossed for the appearance of evening grosbeaks. These handsome gold, black and white finches are twice the size of pine siskins and also travel in loose flocks. If they discover your feeder they can send you to the poor house buying sunflower seed.

When I have had evening grosbeaks in the past, they have usually arrived by mid- to late January. But they often stay until the first-returning rose-breasted grosbeaks show up in April, so maybe it isn’t too late.

For feeding enthusiasts who don’t have any pine siskins, give me directions to your thistle feeders and I’ll pass ‘em on outside.

(Don Hendershot can be reached at ddihen@juno.com)