After so many wildfires in Canada this past summer I wondered if we’d see an influx of irrupting birds at the feeders this winter since their main diet is tree cone seeds. I’ve seen reports of Red Crossbills in Madison, but our neighborhood has more deciduous trees than conifers, so I’m guessing that is one species I’ll never see in my backyard. The Red-breasted Nuthatches that were regulars at the feeders earlier this year did not stick around for winter.
The other irruptive species we see every few years is the Pine Siskin.
Two weeks ago I spotted a Pine Siskin on one of my hanging feeders, and for a few days he was the only one. But now I’m up to six. With very little snow this winter the birds may not need to travel as far south as they sometimes do. Or maybe if we get a few snowstorms in January, the feeders could suddenly become very busy!
