All photos copyright John Rakestraw unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Tag Archives: Pine Siskin
Random Spring Migrants
Our sunny warm spring has turned cool and wet. This is a good thing, as we continue to be far below average in rainfall amounts, but the weather has put a bit of a damper on birding and photography. This … Continue reading
Random Images
Once again, here are a few photos from the past few weeks’ ramblings. While one can admire the adorableness of this Black-capped Chickadee, the real bird of interest is his drinking buddy in the background, a Pine Siskin. Siskins were … Continue reading
Settling In
I moved at the end of last year. It was not a great distance (less than 100 yards as the finch flies), but I was anxious to see how long it would take the birds to find my feeders. When … Continue reading
Odd solstice visitor
On this first day of summer, I was surprised to see a Pine Siskin on the feeders. Siskins are normally seen here in the Willamette Valley from November through April, before heading to higher elevations to nest. The bird seemed … Continue reading
Early Spring
This is that long awkward time of year between winter and spring. The big winter flocks have broken up, but the spring migrants haven’t returned yet. As I have said before, there is always something to see, but we have … Continue reading
Feeding Frenzy
For the past few weeks I have been enjoying a large flock of Pine Siskins at my feeder. But as often occurs during years of high siskin numbers, I started noticing a few sick birds. So I stopped feeding for … Continue reading
Posted in birding philosophy, conservation issues
Tagged bird feeding, Lesser Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch
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More Green-eating Finches
Last summer I posted about Lesser Goldfinches eating the chard in my garden. This week I saw one of the many visiting Pine Siskins doing the same thing. This makes the third species out of the four in the genus … Continue reading
Malheur NWR
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular birding destinations in Oregon, not just for the abundant expected species, but also for the eastern vagrants that turn up there every year. Our Birdathon team from the Audubon Society … Continue reading
Pittock Mansion 4-21-11
The grounds around Pittock Mansion in northwest Portland are a favorite spot for spring migrants. Most people visit this park to tour the ostentatious limestone house, but birders prefer the brushy hillsides and the woods around the parking lot. Since … Continue reading
Sick Siskins
This has been a good winter for Pine Siskins at the feeders. Unfortunately, when you have large flocks of siskins, it is not uncommon to find sick individuals. These birds are susceptible to both respiratory and eye diseases, both of … Continue reading