Siskin (was - bird id please)

TechnoFreek

Hey guys, spotted a new visitor to the garden this morning but unfortunately I didn't have a camera handy.

Ill try describe this guy or gal as best I can.

At first I thought it was a Greenfinch but its body colour lies somewhere between that of the male and female Greenfinch. Its wing tips have a very solid and bright black and white patterns. However its cap is black and it also has a black band at its eyes

Update:
As I'm typing I see him or her again. This time its at the nyjer feeder beside a Goldfinch. The wing tips are very like the goldfinch but this fella has no yellow on the body. Also has no red patch on the head like the goldfinch.

Could be a female variant of one of my regulars?

Will try get a photo as a picture paints a thousand words and all that!

Any ideas?

whyulittle

Siskin?

TechnoFreek

hmmm. the bird I saw didn't seem that yellow but it did look similar in terms of the wings and caps.

swifts need our help!

female Siskin?

Mark

V_Moth

Female Linnet perhaps?

TechnoFreek

Will check photos guys. I was thinking female something myself alright given the lack of colour etc!

TechnoFreek

whyulittle wrote: »

Siskin?

Got a good look at this bird again at the weekend. Its not as yellow as the images in that link bit it has to be a siskin all the same. No other bird has markings like it.

In fact I have four of them altogether, two pairs!

Theyre a lovely looking bird, up there with goldfinches as my favourite visitor to the garden.

Odd though that I've never seen them in the garden until this week despite feed being out since last October. And now I've four of them.

Tried taking a photo but camera zoom not good enough

whyulittle

I had 3 show up again yesterday along with 2 Goldfinch. Neither had been in the garden for the past week or two.