Siskin ( Spinus spinus )

I had intended to do a flower shot today but the arrival of this gentleman changed that.  In previous years Siskins have been one of our regular and fairly common visitors.  This year (well the last 12 months shall we say, before somebody tells me this year is only a couple of weeks old) we have only had about three visits by a single.

Their conservation status is least concern so where they have disappeared I do not know.  The only suggestion I have come up with is they are heavily dependent on spruce and pine for food.  Greystoke forest just up the road has had a couple of years of timber extraction.   The disturbance may have considerably lowered the breeding success.  With a typical lifespan of only two years the population may just have faded away.

The shot also illustrates the days weather quite well a day of consistent falling wet snow, as shown by it sticking to the tail feathers of the male chaffinch.