All winter we've had scores of pine siskins along Minnehaha Creek east
of L. Hiawatha.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed some "suspicious" behavior
that will have me on the look-out for possible breeding. I checked in
Janssen's book and they do occasionally nest in Hennepin County in
irruption years! (This area is also within a priority box for the BBS.)
I noticed they had paired up a couple of weeks ago and distributed
into smaller groups along the creek, clustering in conifer areas. A
few days ago I saw one bird of a pair wing-fluttering and begging from
the other adult bird. Yesterday one pair was on the ground together--
unusual to see them down so low--and didn't leave this particular area
even when I approached and watched. I was hoping to see them collect
nesting material but then they were spooked.
So nothing definitive yet, and they may just move northward with the
juncos as spring continues...
Diana Doyle
S. Minneapolis
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