Male Siskin (Spinus spinus)

Siskins used to be a common bird in the garden then suddenly they disappeared.   A while ago we saw the odd one.   Now there are two but they are by no means regular once a week if we are lucky.

They are a bird I am rather fond of I can clearly remember my first sight of a male just beside Ruthven Barracks Kingussie back when I used to go up to Insh and work as a volunteer on the Loch Insh Marsh RSPB reserve.

A bird fortunately of no conservation concern which makes me wonder where ours have gone.  The Spinus genus which seems to be a name change formerly it was Carduelis is I am told from the Greek Spinos and means a bird described by Aristotle and other ancients.