Garden Feeders

Hi Stuart
I’ve had a max of 6 bramblings in the garden in the last month.

Dave

Hi Mike - this is one of those unfathomable posers.  I have ringed over 130 Siskins in Market Rasen this year.  In the 24 years since we have been here I have never seen a Brambling in our garden.  Martin Sizer has ringed four Brambling this year in a private garden adjacent to Kenwick Park Golf Course.

I am fascinated by all your sightings at feeders in gardens and recall a commonly used phrase ‘ location, location ,location’!  
My cottage garden is located on the edge of the village of Baumber overlooking farmland. I have never in 15 years had a Siskin visit my feeders but I do get a range of farmland birds such as Grey Partridge, Stock Dove, Jackdaw, Yellowhammer and a healthy colony of Tree Sparrows. I also obviously get the usual array of Tits, Blackbirds, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. This year though I have an unprecedented number of Brambling visiting. The first arrived in November and increased from the New Year to around 10 but last weekend I had a count of 20 with many males now attaining their breeding plumage. 
is it a Brambling year countywide or am I the only one?

Hi Stuart,

At first I thought they were same ones but after your previous info I realised they weren't, some days I get more females than males and vice versa. Because they rarely visit am more than happy to get one a day, since I reintroduced the Niger sixteen port feeder the numbers rose.

A friend told me today a private garden ín Scawby gets 30-40 Siskins daily plus  lots of Brambling and Redpoll, so there quite a lot around. 2024 is a good year for Siskins and long may it continue.

Regards
John

Hi John,
When we have a Siskin "year" at Market Rasen, they certainly visit the feeders every day.  At one of my garden sites it is not unusual to see upwards of 50 on the feeders or in the surrounding trees.  I suspect yours at Scunthorpe are not always the same birds every day.  That is why colour ringing individuals is such a vital tool in accurately measuring bird populations.

Re tree sparrows, there is a sight near Tetney Lock where I regularly used to them, but I haven't noticed any this winter. Hopefully they will return to breed within the next month or so.