Siskin passage

Noted a flock of around 30 siskin during a walk around Irby dale yesterday. 

Interesting, I have just seen this post and also recall our conversation in Woodhall Spa Stuart
After a record number of redpoll last year (getting on to nearly 4000) I have had a much more modest winter with just over 270 since early in January. They seem to now have departed which the second earliest date since I started recording them
Siskin were much more common this year. After seeing some nice sized flocks in nearby Hartsholme Park they eventually arrived on my feeders in small numbers from the middle of January. Then for 10 days from the 15th of this month I recoded around 240 birds with a top count of 37. Unfortunately the score for the last three days has been just one bird each day usually fairly early in the morning

There has been a notable passage of siskins over the past 8 days at ST nnr with numbers of 4 or 5 up to 30+
On some days almost all southward

John

I've just checked our records and the Mid-Lincs RG has ringed over 2200 Siskins in the Market Rasen area since 1984.

There has been a steady movement of Siskins through the Market Rasen area this month and visiting my garden feeders.  I have caught them when the weather was suitable and ringed my 50th this morning.  There are far more males (39 to date) and the weights of both sexes vary from 11.1g to 16.6g. - they are obviously in different stages of their migration.  This is not an annual event and some years I haven't caught one!  From previous recapture data these birds are generally making their way north and I have had quite a few recaptured in Scotland, particularly Perthshire.  From experience I will catch them into April and a few will remain to breed in the Willingham Forest.