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Siskin on a slippery feeder



Seeing folks' messages about avian visitors after Tuesday's snow and ice, I
wanted to tell you about the lone Pine Siskin that showed up in our
backyard.

Here in North Asheville, the storm brought a coating of ice on trees and
power lines, but the roads fortunately weren't too bad.  Looking out the
kitchen window around 8 a.m., I spotted the siskin at our thistle feeder,
which was iced up.  It's one of those feeders that require the birds to eat
upside down (this excludes house finches).  Goldfinches, siskins,
chickadees, etc., can do the inverted gobbling with no difficulty.

Except, I've now learned, when the perches are ice coated.  This siskin
scrambled and fluttered and failed to find a way to get a meal, and quickly
departed.  I went out and chipped off the ice, and soon after a few
goldfinches used the feeder.

For an hour or two, things were lively at and around our feeders, an
exception to what we've observed this winter.

Len Pardue, Asheville, NC