Occasional winter visitor and passage migrant with four summer records.

Although Foster recorded a large flock of Siskins with Goldfinches near Aston in February 1907, prior to 1930 they were scarce visitors to Hertfordshire, and in the 1950’s, were reported to be scarce or entirely absent from North Hertfordshire. The earliest subsequent record since Foster’s was of two at Box Wood on 16 April 1972.

Whilst they have increased in both range and numbers nationally in the twentieth century following the wide scale planting of non-native conifer forests, they were still uncommon at Stevenage during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with only 17 records. Records coming from, Box Wood, Fairlands Valley, Monks Wood, Norton Green Tip, Sish Lane, Watery Grove, and gardens in Chells and Edmonds Drive.

There were only two records prior to 2007 (from Corey’s Mill and Fairlands Valley Lakes), since then they have been recorded annually.

During the winter of 2007/08, there was a considerable influx of Siskins, with the following records: 20 on 20 December at an unknown location, up to 25 in a Great Ashby Garden between 2 and 25 January, up to 25 in a Broadwater Garden, 30 in Pryors Wood on 20 February, 30 plus in a Great Ashby Garden on 16 March, and nine in a Great Ashby Garden on 29 March. 

A large flock of 30 was seen at Chesfield Park on 24 March 2015 and flocks of up to 50 birds have been seen at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 29 November 2021 and 24 January 2022.

The summer records are: four birds seen at Fishers Green on 24 June 2013 and, a juvenile seen there on 25 August 2013; one on feeders at Great Ashby on 29 June 2015; one in a Fairview Road Garden on 1 June 2022 and a juvenile bird seen there on 6 June 2022.

There are three ringing records: An adult male ringed at Fishers Green on 7 March 2013 was, “controlled” at Bellshill, North Lanarkshire on 11 April 2013, an adult male ringed at Selkirk, Scottish Borders on 21 October 2012 was, “controlled” at Fishers Green on 7 March 2013 and, a first year male ringed at Rushcliffe Country Park, Nottinghamshire on 27 January 2013 was, “controlled” at Fishers Green on 18 March 2013.    

The Common Bird Census at Watery Grove recorded a pair holding a breeding territory in 1978, and their presence in the 1985 breeding season.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from six of the tetrads covering Stevenage.

The most recent records: up to 20 at Fairlands Valley Lakes between 6 October and 26 March 2021; 10+ at Ashtree Wood on 11 February 2021; circa. eight at Box Wood on 7 March 2021; single birds on autumn passage at Fairlands Valley Lakes during October 2021; up to 50 birds at Fairlands Valley Lakes during November and December 2021 and January, February and March 2022; a male at the Old Town on 31 May 2022; one at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 1 October 2022; four at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 7 November 2022; eight at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 11 November 2022; 40+ at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 5 and 23 December 2022; six plus at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 26 December 2022; up to 12 at Fairlands Valley Lakes between 2 and 30 January 2023; c.30 at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 12 March 2023; one at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 18 March 2023; four at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 1 April 2023; one at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 14 September 2023; five at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 1 October 2023; one at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 19 October 2023; 25 at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 20 October 2023; nine at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 12 November and c.12 on 15 November 2023; 25 at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 7 December, 45 on 15 December and six on 25 December 2023, 40 at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 12 and 20 January 2024 and birds seen on and birds seen on 30 January and 9 February 2024, 15 on 14 February 2024, two on 27 February 2024, 10+ on 29 February 2024 and six plus on 7 March 2023; a male and female in an Edmonds Drive Garden on 6 March 2024 and a male there on 13 March 2024; one plus in a Fairview Road Garden on 16 and 23 March 2024.

Fairlands Valley Lakes 15 January 2021.