I also use the socks which are used almost exclusively by goldfinches this year (last year the pine siskins were all over). There's a lot of spillover, which makes juncos and other sparrows very happy. Not to mention the mourning doves, and the turkeys. Turkeys were a big problem when one sock dangled down within reach - the turkeys discovered they could peck a hole in the sock and empty it down to the ground, where they sucked it all up. As for your original question "How much does a single bird eat in a day any way?", I don't know the answer, but I had 18 goldfinches on the socks this morning and they have been diligently working at lowering the levels. Claire

With the Cuddeback camera, every morning seems like Christmas..I can hardly wait to see what I have! Last night's photos: 2-23-09, Pond trail, female Gray Fox, 9:26 p.m. From Cuddeback trail camera photos-wildlife on Picazo Farm pond trail 2-24-09, Pond trail, young male Red Fox, 1:21 a.m. From Cuddeback trail camera photos-wildlife on Picazo Farm pond trail 2-24-09, Pond trail, female Gray Fox, 5:31 a.m. From Cuddeback trail camera photos-wildlife on Picazo Farm pond trail I took photos of the jumble of tracks in front of the Cuddeback camera to establish the genders of the foxes in the photos 2-24-09, mixed fox tracks; Round-toed Gray Fox below, triangular Red Fox tracks above From Cuddeback trail camera photos-wildlife on Picazo Farm pond trail 2-24-09, Red Fox tracks, showing slight inner step with hind foot, showing him to be a young male (male's shoulders are wider than female's, so the hind foot, which lands on top of the front foot track, tracks slightly to the inside) From 2-24-09, Tracks and scat 2-24-09, female Gray Fox tracks, showing hind foot stepping slightly to the outside to account for wider hips From 2-24-09, Tracks and scat The young female coyote's tracks came down the hill behind the horse shed by the kitchen, then trotted up the pond trail to the first corner before cutting off through the woods. I followed the male Red Fox's tracks further down the logging road until the young female coyote's tracks reappeared on the logging road further back on our property. A male coyote's tracks from the day before came down the hill and onto the logging road at a track "intersection"-another great spot for a Cuddeback camera. I followed the female coyote's tracks until she turned off the trail, straight down the hill, then I circled my land and found where she crossed a log high above the creek gully onto the property in the first place. From 2-24-09, Tracks and scat then went up the hill where she must have circled around to come out by our kitchen From 2-24-09, Tracks and scat I even slithered down a steep, snowy hillside, hanging onto shrubs high above the creek, carrying my expensive camera, to investigate a den in the side of the mountain, but only a squirrel's tracks were near the entrance. For three hours I tramped around our property writing down track and stride measurements, taking hundreds of track photos, etc. I'm really nosy like that; I told DuBois that if the animals were humans they'd have a restraining order on me for stalking and photographing them. To get back on the forum subject (I really should find a wildlife forum for these photos)-despite 17 degrees this morning, the Red-Shouldered Hawk is yelping again to declare his territory, Cardinals have started their "cheer, cheer!"s, Titmice have begun their "Peter-peters" and even the Carolina Chickadees are doing "see-bee, see bay"s now. So, ready or not, spring is coming

I have lots too and this is the first time I have ever had any. I have over 20 at a time! I had a really bad time with one this morning. One had flew on a shepard's hook that I have and when I tried to help it, I noticed that one of it's legs was barely hanging and it looked like it was bleeding through the stomach. It stayed alive but barely. I tried my best to help but I knew there was nothing anyone could do at this point. It was in pure pain and misery and I'm not really sure what even happened to it. I shot it and killed it because it was suffering so bad. It was sad.

I can't speak for siskins, but I'm discovering that nature isn't always consistent. There are so many variables that we are unaware of. Like here, we've always had toads in our little pond every year. But this year, not a one. Some years I have lots of certain birds and the next year I don't. Your siskins will probably come back some time in the future.,