Pine Siskin in my backyard: Regina, Saskatchewan

A Pine Siskin showed up at my backyard bird feeder in Regina, Saskatchewan, today. It sat with a red House Finch — and their apparent congeniality led me, at first glance, to think the Siskin must be a female finch...

But yellow-tipped wing and tail feathers were wrong — and so was that beak. (Pine Siskins have narrower, more delicate beaks than House Finches.) A search through finch-like birds in The Sibley Guide led me to the Pine Siskin page, and there it was — my bird feeder bird of the day: A Pine Siskin.

Pine Siskin - note the yellow feathers on wings and tail, 
and clear light wing streaks. © SB

Sibley says these birds are mainly found in open coniferous forests, which does not in the least describe my suburban, flat land, backyard! So this Siskin must be passing through, to parts further north and more conifer-filled. 

In backyard bird photography, the stakes always increase. My challenge now is to photograph a Pine Siskin with sunlight sparkling in its dark eyes. (And yes! I did! And posted the Pine Siksin's lovely colours here, in 2015.)  

Eye reflection, check!
Pine Siskin on Finch feeder. © SB

Next, with its feathers open, to display those lovely yellow wing bars! 

What is this? A Pine Siskin.
Location: Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

Photo date: May 11, 2013.

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