Pine Siskins Have Arrived - A Life species for me.

A flock of 8 Pine Siskins arrived in my backyard this morning. The flock found my thistle feeder just minutes after I refilled it with seed.

I have been reading about sightings of Pine Siskins in southeast Michigan. I have never seen them in my backyard.

They were joined by one of my resident male American Goldfinches in his winter plumage.

I have never seen a Pine Siskin before, so this is a very special event for this thrilled birder. This is a bird I can add to my life list. A "life list" is a recorded list of birds a birdwatcher has seen in the wild.

To mark this event, I stepped out onto the backyard deck to take this photo, and was allowed to get within 20 ft. of the feeder. After their feed, the Pine Siskins flew deep into the pine tree. I listened to their unique call and will remember it for future reference when I am out in the pines in search of the elusive Pine Siskin. What a thrill for this birder!