Feisty siskins are pleasure to watch
which in its own way will further change the distribution of wildlife wherever the next generation of trees is planted.
I remember some 40 years ago that our local hills sustained no fewer than seven pairs of hen harriers but as more planting occurred they disappeared.
There was also a healthy population of short-eared owls – they were easier to spot than the barn owls for they are diurnal hunters and as such, very different from most other owls. But they too are gone.
However, conifer forests are not entirely sterile. They provide ideal habitat for several interesting animals and birds.
Red squirrels find spruce forests very much to their liking and hereabouts their population has soared, thanks to the increasing presence of another mammal, which also prospers among the conifers, the pine marten.
The new generation of martens have decimated the local grey squirrel population, perhaps because not only are the alien greys less agile than the smaller, native red squirrel but they are, as a result, easier to catch. Red squirrels have accordingly filled the vacuum.
Those unique birds, crossbills also find conifer forest very much to their liking as do the minuscule goldcrests – our smallest native bird.
In recent years there has been a substantial increase in the population of another of those wee birds which, as March approaches, become more and more familiar in our gardens. During the past few days, I have been seeing a few of these delightful, colourful and feisty little birds, the siskins.
I recently re-read a wee book published in the early 20th century called “Familiar Wild Birds”.
The siskin is named as a rare bird, which was, late in the 19th century, a popular cage bird.
The presence of siskins in the London area, it was suggested, might have been due to the presence of escaped cage birds, initially imported from Germany.
It was further presumed that some siskins could possibly have crossed the North Sea, again from Germany, in which country migrants from Scandinavia regularly winter.
Otherwise, the author suggested, they might have come from Scotland where there were a few known breeding populations.
There can be little doubt that the spread of coniferous forest in Scotland, during the 20th century, has enabled the siskin population to go forth and multiply.
It may be that in the past their numbers here have been augmented by migrants from Scandinavia.
These tiny birds are very attractive, the males fairly glowing with their lemony-green plumage and adorned by a striking black cap, which extends below the chin to a wee bib.
Research has proved that the larger that bib, the more dominant is that bird’s status in the siskin community.
Siskins are extremely sociable, nesting in the conifers in colonies and establishing a social order. As the spring advances, you may see cock birds offering food to females and even to other males.
In itself, the exchange of food between males illustrates exactly how dominant the recipients of such gifts are within that community. Those proffering gifts are clearly subordinate birds.
However, males feeding females is entirely different and a ploy designed to strengthen a bond.
As the breeding season hots up, it may also be a means of persuading the females to concentrate on the production of the next generation rather than wasting energy on foraging.
The arrival of siskins in gardens is likely to be because they have nearly exhausted natural supplies of seeds, particularly those of alder but also including birch, spruce and the seeds of weeds such as docks and burdock.
Thus, our provision of various varieties of seeds fills a gap in the siskin diet.
The brightest flashes of colour are provided by the male siskins – the females lack the black crown and bib, their plumage is more streaked and thus they are not quite as bright.
They are agile wee birds and are not readily bullied by the likes of greenfinches and chaffinches. As I said they are feisty!
Green suddenly seems to be the theme for having seen no greenfinches here over the last couple of years, I have recently observed a handful of them on my bird-table.
But it is the siskins that really catch the eye, their yellow barred wings flashing in the winter – or could it be spring sunshine?
Spring, despite the continuing persistence of low temperatures, is definitely hinting at moving in!