Rosemary for breakfast?

  

While doing some errands in Sebastopol this morning, I noticed some movement in a rosemary bush at the edge of a parking lot.  Turned out to be a small flock of Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria) along with a few Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus).  They appeared to be eating the rosemary flowers.  

Siskins are often perched up high in trees, so it was fun to see them below eye level.  Above, two Pine Siskins.  (Note the nice yellow feather edges.)

Below, a bright male Lesser Goldfinch.

 

 

A little greenery?

  

This morning (20 December 2020) a large flock of Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) was feeding on sweet gum seed pods in our front yard.  I'd estimate there were ~30 individuals, so it was a good opportunity to look at color variation.  

Because so many siskins have been coming to our bird bath this fall, I'd been noticing that there's quite a range in how much yellow there is on each bird — some are primarily brown with barely any yellow visible, while others have bright yellow in the wings which is apparent from a distance.  I had been wondering about this variability (e.g., does color vary with age, or whether the birds are male or female?), when I read that there is also a "green morph" — although rare, some siskins show much more yellow/green coloration.

Today I was taking advantage of being able to look at a lot of siskins up close.  I was taking photos of different birds from different angles.  There was a variable amount of yellow in the wings (some were more buffy than yellow), but most had brown backs:

 

 

 

 

 

And then I noticed this bird:

 

 

 

 

The base color of the back feathers was noticeably yellow/green rather than brown.  The yellow in the wings was extensive and bright:

 

 

 

 

 

The brown streaking on the underparts wasn't as prominent, and the yellow appeared along the sides and on the undertail coverts, too:

 

 

 

 

Based on what I've read, this individual probably matches the description of a "green morph" Pine Siskin.  It's not known whether this color variation is based on genetics or environmental factors (e.g., diet when the birds are molting).  If you're seeing siskins in your neighborhood this winter, it might be fun to watch for greenish individuals:

 

 

 

 

Caught red-billed

I attended a conference from home today, but managed to take a few photos out the window during a break:

 

 

 

Small groups of Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) have been visiting the bird bath in our backyard.

 

Note the bill that tapers to a very sharp point, the notched tail, and the subtle but bright yellow color in the flight feathers (it's more visible in flight):

 

 

 

 

When I was reviewing the photos, I noticed that many of the siskins had something on their bills.  Here are two examples (you can click on the images for larger versions):

 

 

 

 

 

You can see something red on their bills, but I'm not sure what it is.  I have mostly thought about siskins as seed-eaters, but the reddish material looked like it could be berries?  So I read more about the diet of siskins and found one mention of them eating honeysuckle berries.  Perhaps the siskins have found some fruit in the neighborhood?  If you have other thoughts about what they might be eating, let me know!

Upside down

 

 

Sure has felt like life has been turned upside down recently.  That feeling made me think about these Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) feeding on Sweetgum fruits back in December.

 

Breakfast in the sweetgum

The birds returned for "breakfast" in the sweetgum this morning.  

When I lived in Massachusetts, I didn't see Pine Siskins that often, so it's been fun getting to know them better in California.

Here's a classic pose, hanging onto a sweetgum seed pod:

 

The siskins frequently feed upside down, and often in close proximity to each other:

 

After feeding, they will sometimes sit quietly in the sun with their eyes closed: 

 

The activity of the siskins attracted other birds.  While the siskins would roll the seeds around in their bills, the Chestnut-backed Chickadees had a slightly different feeding strategy.  They would extract a seed, then take it to a perch and hammer on the seed to separate it from its winged covering.

 

The Lesser Goldfinches also hung from the pods, and fed in a similar way to the siskins, maneuvering the seeds in their bills.  How many goldfinches can you find in the photo below?

 

[There are four goldfinches in the photo above — three near the center (top, middle, bottom), and one in the upper right corner.]

Fluffed up

 

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) — fluffed up against the cold (~35°F) early this morning.

A large flock of siskins was feeding in a sweetgum tree in our yard.  Their activity level seemed to attract other birds.  The siskins were joined by Lesser Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings, a Red-breasted Nuthatch (see below), and Chestnut-backed Chickadees.

 

It's already 36°F here tonight (at ~10 p.m. in Cotati), and it's predicted to reach 30°F by morning.  Brrrr!

Birds as leaves

How many birds do you see at first glance?

Then, how many birds do you count?

 

I just scanned quickly, but I counted 55 twice.  

Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) in Cotati on 24 October 2015.