Regular winter visitor and passage migrant with four summer records.

Winter visitors from breeding populations in Scotland, northern England and Scandinavia. Towards the end of the winter when natural foods are depleted, they often appear in gardens at bird feeders.

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), one record in 2007 and seven records in 2008. since 2010 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.

Since 2015 they have been annual winter visitors at Fairlands Lakes where they are attracted to the Alder Trees (Alnus glutinosa) mainly at Environmental Lake.

The summer records are: four juvenile 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.

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

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

The earliest arrival date is 22 September 2025 of one flying over Fairlands Valley Lakes, The, latest spring departure date is 31 May 2022 of one seen at the Old Town.

The most recent records is of four at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 28 November 2025.

Fairlands Valley Lakes 15 January 2021.