As I’ve written before on this blog, nettles (Urtica spp.) are important food plants for birds, both due to insects and their larvae feeding on them in summer and the nutrient rich seed in winter. Today there was a small flock of redpolls (gråsisik) feeding on the seed on a small patch of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) that I’ve been encouraging just below the house and in good view of the living room.
Tag Archives: Gråsisik
It went well!
Redpolls everywhere
In July, I forecast it was going to be a good year for the birds with exceptional flowering of birch, lime, rowan, maples and other trees (http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=22951)
At the moment there are large numbers of redpolls (gråsisik) in the garden and with no snow they are able to feed on the ground.
Redpolls
A large flock of over 300 redpolls (gråsisik) in the garden today!
The pitter patter of birch seeds
The pitter patter of birch seed bracts (or scales) as you can hear at the beginning of the video can only mean one thing here, a large flock of siskins / grønnsisik (or sometimes redpolls / gråsisik) at the top of this birch tree creating a shower of debris from the bird’s feeding! However, they ARE silent when dining!
Robin and redpoll on the bird feeder and eagles on Malvikodden
Birds in the garden 7th February 2018
Marsh tit (løvmeis)
Yellowhammers (gulspurv), part of a flock of 11 birds with a brambling (bjørkefink)
Hawfinch (kjernebiter) with nuthatch (spettmeis) at the end!
Bird diversity in snow
Fieldfare (gråtrost) in snow
Siskins
Every day there’s something different birdwise to see in the garden. This morning, a flock of some 20 siskins (grønnsisik) were looking for crumbs under the feeder, but they were soon gone again! (together with bramblings / bjørkefink and redpolls / gråsisik in the videos)
Redpolls on anise hyssop
A new for me plant that is both edimental (edible and ornamental) and is also bird food in the winter! Even more reason to grow North American Anise Hyssop (anisisop), Agastache foeniculum, on which these redpolls (gråsisik) are feeding…
Ground feeding redpolls
Redpolls (gråsisik) feeding on the ground (birch seed presumably) outside the kitchen window this afternoon!