Reporting in from nearby, Tom, I had a flock of 40 observed from my backyard on 12/30, too early for the 2024 WInter Bird Challenge, but had 8 on 1//2/24. These are eBIrdable observations but my listening/detection BirdNET-Pi device has logged at least one flyover most days since early November (this is unvetted and occasionally LEGO’s give a call that gets a PISI false positive) with a surge between dates I mentioned. So interesting to get a 24×7 read on our neighborhood birdlife. Pine Siskin sharing the stage with Pine Grosbeak this year!
Back to my visual observations, that was a sunny afternoon when I had the 40 in what I will call (homage to Linda) a mini-murmuration! — Jim Lyons jflyons@… 208-340-0533
Speaking for Gem County, we’ve been seeing large groups, 100 or more, primarily of pine siskins with mixed finches all along JAG, Sandhollow, and Van Deusen Rds. They’re also at our feeders but so far only in pairs.
Louisa and I reported about 800 of them this week on Stone Quarry road between Big Willow and Little Willow Rd. It was quite a sight watching a murmuration of Pine Siskins, then seeing them land in the trees.
We have only seen 1 several times over the last 2 weeks. Huge bunches of Lesser Goldfinches.
On Jan 6, 2024, at 10:08 PM, bike4birds <tmccabe9@…> wrote:
Is anybody else in the Boise area getting visited by Pine Siskins? I’ve had an occasional visit by 1 over the past 2 weeks, but today there were at least 4 at my feeders, competing with all the regulars. Never saw one all last winter, but the year before they were here in force. Not sure if that means we’re in for a more wintry winter. Time will tell.
Tom McCabe, Boise
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Is anybody else in the Boise area getting visited by Pine Siskins? I’ve had an occasional visit by 1 over the past 2 weeks, but today there were at least 4 at my feeders, competing with all the regulars. Never saw one all last winter, but
the year before they were here in force. Not sure if that means we’re in for a more wintry winter. Time will tell.