Yesterday on a long walk at Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs I can concur with Simon (and Craig - edit) on the success of Siskins here. They are the most numerous bird after Coal Tits, singing and calling everywhere in the pine tops but generally hard to see. 10+ seen flying across rides or from wood to wood, one bright male seen well on a lower branch and one recently fledged juvenile bird also seen well on a low branch. Good to know they are successful over in Derbyshire.

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Wednesday 22nd of April 2015 07:53:10 AM

I remember hearing on the visible migration grape vine last autumn that there was a good food source up in Scotland which meant birds weren't moving further south and could have been potential for birds further north too!

Haven't seen a Siskin yet this year!!

There were plenty at Ladybower the other week Tim!!

My only 2 this year were at Roman Lakes on 24th February, when I noted:

"Siskin 2 (Pair with male in full song. They have been really scarce [absent?] round here this winter)"

It was well reported that there were fewer visiting gardens this winter but that was put down to abundance of alternative food sources in the wild.

Cheers John

I was thinking of starting a discussion on this very subject and when I went to the general discussion area, lo one was already begun! So are we all thinking the same? It's not just a lack of birds on feeders it's 'in the wild' too. I have not seen one all winter when I would normally expect to see small groups on Alders for instance and they are normally at Chorlton Water Park every winter. Tony Darby and I went over to Binn Green on Sunday just for Siskin after our staggering success with 28 Ring Ouzels at Pots and Pans. We stood discussing the lack of Siskins with two Leeds birders over for the day and they had seen just one at Binn Green earlier and together we saw no more in over an hour mooching about in the lovely weather. We did have 2 late Bramblings, 2 Lesser Redpolls, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Chaffinch but Siskins no. Hoping to catch up with some at Ladybower Reservoir today.

I remember speaking to someone about a similar thing a few years ago, but we were actually discussing how populations of Siskins and Redpolls seem to be almost cyclical with each other over a few years, with dips for both species in between. My patch doesn't have enough of either to really notice any difference - although numbers of each have been fairly consistent the last couple of years - but maybe we're in a dip year?

I was in The Lakes a couple of weeks ago walking, there was quite a few on street wires and the valley in Glennriding and the Kirkstone pass general area. Havn't seen any locally this winter either.

I was up at Ladybower Reservoir a fortnight ago, in the woods between the Fairholmes car park and the SW corner of Howden Res saw around 20; on the basis that this was only the birds we saw next to the path on less than 50% of the perimeter of the water, you have to imagine there are hundreds if not thousands in there. Also saw some at Dove Stones yesterday; it's similar habitat obviously, conifer plantations in upland fringes around a reservoir.

To be fair I don't have the background of birding for years like many folks on here, so I don't really know what it was like a few years back, but there are certainly birds out there today.

My reaction to that now is as it was when I first saw the BTO's explanation, where is this 'wild' they are talking about as I haven't seen more than the odd siskin anywhere for two years plus?

See link below; the gist of it being that there has been such an abundance of food in the wild over the last autumn and into winter that they haven't been resorting to garden feeders.

http://www.bto.org/news-events/press-releases/missing-garden-finches

No Siskins Redpolls or Greenfinches for me either this winter.

A female Greenfinch turned up once a couple of weeks ago but I haven't seen her since.

Goldfinches have been scarcer too this time.Although I had 4 on the niger seed this morning.

Only reguars are a pair of Chaffinch and a pair of Bullfinch - but I haven't seen the Bullies for a week now either.

Certainly have Rob, and have commented on it more than once on this site. It's actually the second winter that they've been largely invisible and I too am rather baffled, maybe even worried. I've therefore got a huge pile of nyjer seed that has gone to waste (redpolls have also deserted me, and goldfinches were well down too this winter). If garden birding goes the way of the wider countryside, what is there left if you don't have a nature reserve on your doorstep?

Has anyone noticed their absence so far this year? I've seen neither hide nor feather of one since autumn - most unusual...