Pine Siskins arrived in mass a few weeks ago and seem to be sticking around the GNG. In California these birds are normally found in our higher local mountains and the High Sierra, moving down-slope in the late fall and winter in search of an easier living during the colder months. Some years these nomadic birds leave the mountains entirely and find their way into our area. When this happens in mass (like it has this year) it’s called an irruption – defined as a dramatic, irregular migration of large numbers of birds to areas where they aren’t typically found.
It’s always exciting to have a bird species in your yard that may not show-up again for many years!
Pine Siskin