The appearance of Siskins at garden feeders acts
as a barometer of seed availability in the wider countryside
 |
| Photo: BTO |
February 2013. Twice as many Siskins as normal are currently visiting the
nation's gardens. This wonderful, ‘green' finch is sensitive to fluctuations in
the availability of woodland tree seeds, and appears to be turning to garden
feeders for help in a year when seed crops have been poor.
Indication of scarcity of seeds in the wild
The appearance of Siskins at garden feeders acts as a barometer of seed availability in the wider countryside. During winters when natural tree seeds, such as those of Sitka Spruce, are scarce, Siskins make much greater use of garden feeders. Such findings have come to light thanks to thousands of householders who tell the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) which birds they see in their gardens throughout the year.
The appearance of Siskins at garden feeders acts as a barometer of seed availability in the wider countryside. During winters when natural tree seeds, such as those of Sitka Spruce, are scarce, Siskins make much greater use of garden feeders. Such findings have come to light thanks to thousands of householders who tell the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) which birds they see in their gardens throughout the year.
Large flocks of seed-eating birds move into
gardens during late winter and this year is shaping up to be a bumper one for
Siskins. The latest weekly results from the year-round BTO Garden BirdWatch
survey show that twice as many Siskins have visited gardens since the end of
January compared with the same period in 2010-12. In fact, the number of
Siskins in gardens is the highest it has been since the 2007-08 winter and
there is a good chance we'll see that figure topped over the next two weeks.
With natural tree seeds in short supply, garden offerings, such as nyger seed
and sunflower hearts, are supporting lots of these hungry birds.
Bramblings & goldfinch
In addition to Siskins, other seed-eating finches have been unusually abundant in gardens of late. Numbers of Bramblings, which are winter visitors to our shores from Scandinavia, spotted by householders since the end of January have been almost two thirds higher than the 2010-12 average. Another species to watch is Goldfinch, with their numbers having risen markedly in gardens over recent years.
In addition to Siskins, other seed-eating finches have been unusually abundant in gardens of late. Numbers of Bramblings, which are winter visitors to our shores from Scandinavia, spotted by householders since the end of January have been almost two thirds higher than the 2010-12 average. Another species to watch is Goldfinch, with their numbers having risen markedly in gardens over recent years.
Dr Tim Harrison, BTO Garden BirdWatch,
commented: "Now is an important time to keep garden feeders topped up as
natural seed stocks, which peak in autumn, dwindle. Indeed, the next few weeks
will see some of the best garden birdwatching opportunities of the year, so
keep your eyes peeled and please let the BTO know what you see."
No comments:
Post a Comment