Pine siskins

What do tiny birds like pine siskins do when it blows and storms? In the gap between rainstorms, I passed a red alder, loaded down with catkins and busy pine siskins.

18 pine siskins on this half of the tree.

I haven't seen these little birds for some time. They travel in flocks, swarming over a tree or shrub for a few minutes, then going on to another. They don't have a fixed route, seemingly choosing their next feeding spot on a whim. They arrived at this tree just as I passed; by the time I'd taken a few photos they were on to another, one tree at a time.

They are mainly seed eaters, foraging for any small seeds from a large variety of plants, dandelions to pine trees, also taking insects where they find them. On this tree, they're mainly focusing on the tiny cones, although one was checking out a catkin. They would find seeds in the cones, and maybe an insect or two in the catkins.

Pine Siskins are fairly common, but their numbers can be difficult to estimate due to the large and hard-to-predict movements they make each year. Partners in Flight estimates that populations have declined by 80% since 1970. ... The Pine Siskin rates a 10 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and is considered a Common Bird in Steep Decline. Domestic cats, red squirrels, hawks, jays, and crows can prey on adult birds or on their eggs or young. ... Pine Siskins' fondness for mineral deposits can lure them onto dangerously busy roadways salted to melt ice and snow. Loss of habitat from forest-clearing may be balanced by new commercially planted coniferous forests, and by the Pine Siskin’s willingness to nest in shrubs and ornamental trees. (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Bits of yellow cheer