April 3, 2015
This afternoon, when I went out to refill a bird feeder, I found a Pine
Siskin sitting on the niger feeder, all fluffed up and holding one wing a
little lower than the other. I got to within arm's length of the bird
before I noticed it. While I was looking, another Siskin landed on top of
the feeder, looked at me and the other bird and flew away. I reached out to
see if I could catch the first bird, but it flew to some shrubs near my
back porch.
After putting out the seeds, I returned to the porch and found the Siskin
on another feeder. When it saw me, it flew to the floor of the porch, where
there were some seeds. I squatted down and watched it eat seeds a bit, then
reached out and caught it. It struggled and nipped me. I tried to look at
the droopy wing, but wasn't able to examine it before it escaped. Later, I
saw it back on the niger feeder.
Do Siskins stay here, or is this one late in leaving because it's not in
good health? I wonder if the other Siskin was its mate.
Lynne Davis
Seymour, Sevier County
