Sunday, January 18, 2009

Funny Pine Siskins

It has been such a treat to watch the birds at the bird bath and to occasionally step outside with a camera. Opportunities for fun observations happen when you least expect it.
I can count on the pine siskins to announce their presence with high pitched whistles as they gather in the tree limbs near my feeders. Sometimes they fly away enmass when I open the door. At other times they don't seem to care and on this cold day, they were more intent on getting a drink.
When I looked at these photos I couldn't help but laugh. The birdbath had shifted in the soggy ground making the water farther away on one edge than the other. And when the artic air arrived, the ground froze so I could neither remove the ice nor straighten the bowl. The pine siskin that landed on the 'away' side had a time, not only with the distance he had to reach for the water, but the smooth surface on which he perched. You can see a curious, contemplative and even frustrated experience going on in his behavior.
Okay, lets try this another way.
I first thought that I just hadn't been observant enough in the past. Pine siskins are new to me this season. But a naturalist friend of mine in the area, Stephen Lyn Bales, observes in his blog, Nature Calling, that they have not been so common in the Tennessee Valley.

Our breeding bird atlas (Atlas of the Breeding Birds of TN) describes them as "uncommon to fairly common winter residents" and rare in the summer. Breeding information is scarce and those times that breeding has been documented, usually in the Great Smoky Mountains or at Roan Mountain, the reports followed an "intermediate or major irruptive flight" during the preceding fall or winter.
Reading about pine siskins just makes these birds all the more intriguing to me and so I will be observing and reading more as the winter progresses.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #21 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

11 comments:

  1. I smiled when I saw the photo of the siskin leaning over the bird bath to get a sip...great photo!

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  2. That's a really nice series of photos and the one with the bird hanging over the edge and trying to reach the water is so cute! Great photos!

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  3. Great pix - I have had siskins at my feeders for the first time this year...they are really amusing little things.

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  4. That one siskin really had to stretch to get the water - so cute! Made me smile!

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  5. Too cute! I love the series! Great photos! Aren't they just fun to watch.

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  6. Vickie, they are so trusting of your benevolent presence that they blithely look down to drink. What a compliment!

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  7. There are quite a few more Pine Siskins in our yard than past years, I love the sounds they make.

    Great photos and good birding to you!

    :-)

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  8. Vickie I love watching the Pine Siskins in the winter at my feeders too. They are definitely boisterous and seem to take over my thistle feeders from the Goldfinches when they arrive. It makes for great entertainment as they fly back and forth between the various feeders.

    Nice captures of the birds at the bath. That one guy does look rather perplexed.

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  9. Pine Siskins are supposed to be in our area this winter, but I don't think I've seen one yet. But I don't know because I'm not sure the lighting on the back patio has been good enough to tell the difference between a female house finch and a pine siskin.

    You're were absolutely adorable! Too funny about that one getting creative :)

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  10. Lovely set of photos, Vickie! Shows the antics of these adorable birds.

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  11. Fascinating. My siskins don't come to the heated birdbath. They just eat snow. Maybe the birdbath is too close to the house? Love your shots. They are endearing little things.

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