Siskins brighten up our day

WE HAVE siskins at our peanut feeder.

I have no idea where they came from. I’ve never seen them in the garden or anywhere in the mixed woodland around our home.

However, we have old alder trees along the nearby stream and alder cones are a favourite of these vivid little birds in winter. If not seen at a peanut feeder, they are most likely to be seen trapezing amongst the alders, their tails pointing toward the sky. They seem to have a preference for feeding upside-down.