The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Not Mid-Lincs RG rings, Alan.

New Waltham

3 Siskins (2 males 1 female) on the sunflower seeds at 5.15 today. Last week had the first one for around five years. Brilliant to see them coming back.

The Siskins in our garden were joined by 2 Lesser Redpolls yesterday, this is a first record for our garden in 21 years.

Regards,

C&S

One male Siskin and up to six Lesser Redpolls visiting my feeders for the last month.

First siskins of the winter arrived in our garden this morning (21st March) here at Marton, just the two and in the company of greenfinches. Headed for the niger seed feeder plus peanut feeder.

Cheers
Brian

Lots of Redpolls around and over my garden in Rippingale but it was not until we returned from two weeks holiday on March 8 that I noticed them coming to the feeders. Unlike some reports both Redpolls and Siskins in our garden favour the nyger over the sunflower hearts.The over-wintering female Blackcap has now been joined by a male. The female usually feeds on the bird table whereas the male has been pecking at the fat balls.

Ian

Lots of Redpolls around and over my garden in Rippingale but it was not until we returned from two weeks holiday on March 8 that I noticed them coming to the feeders. Unlike some reports both Redpolls and Siskins in our garden favour the nyger over the sunflower hearts.The over-wintering female Blackcap has now been joined by a male. The female usually feeds on the bird table whereas the male has been pecking at the fat balls.

Ian

Now into the sixth week of our daily redpoll visits - between four and nine seen feeding simultaneously, but there are obviously more as two of the males are distinctive with lovely red breasts, joined this morning by a pair of siskin. The female has been around off and on for a month, but today is the first time the male has come. At one point there was a goldfinch, male siskin and four redpolls on the nyger feeder all at the same time. What a privilege to see !

I can add to the gardens seeing their first Lesser Redpolls (ever) having had 5-6 coming down to my Nyger feeder over the last fortnight. Two of the males have been singing extensively. Lesser Redpolls usually vacate the county during March (according to LBC records received for the LBC report) and rarely stay to breed - the last one to be reported to LBC was of an active nest found by Stuart Britton in June 2010. Do the portents point to a very good year, and with some staying to breed this year?

Phil

I think numbers of Siskins and Redpolls now coming to food just points to their natural food running out and them switching to artificial food in gardens. At Bourne Wood/Bob Sheppards garden, March is normally peak time for both Redpoll and Siskin (incidentally caught 90 Siskins there on Sunday). All will move on northwards and I don't expect any will stay on to breed. We've not had any Siskin or Redpoll breeding locally for quite a few years.

Alan

12+ siskins in garden and surrounding trees,quite unusual,get the odd ones most years but never like this,..rog.

Single Lesser Redpoll on sunflower hearts feeder this morning, this is the first sighting in our Horncastle town garden.
2 Siskins are still appearing on the feeders each day this week along with the single female Blackcap.

Cheers

Rob