Niger seed update

[Camberley red]

Hello

my Goldfinch flock is up to 6 now on the niger seed feeder, which is amazing for a garden that had not attracted a single bird in 12 years. Its also very amusing to watch the other birds trying to work out how to get at the seed. The Goldfinch's seem to know instinctively. Mind you with all this wet weather my garden feeders appear to be much more busy than usual.

Excellent flock of over 90 Bramblings on my local patch Wishmoor Bottom, Camberley, yesterday Sunday. Its also the first time I have encounted such a flock in November in over 10 years watching the site.

Seems to be a mini invasion of Black Redstarts about at the moment in Southern England, 2 were seen within a 15 mile radius of my house, although I personally have not seen one yet.

Bye for now

Paul

[monkeyman]

It's interesting what you say about the niger seeds. I haven't put any out as we don't tend to get goldfinches in the gardens here, although they are very common along the canalside, not half a mile away! However, The other day I decided to buy some sunflower seeds to put in one of my feeders. By the time I'd got back into the kitchen and looked out the window, a blue tit had dived straight in and whisked out a seed which it took into our neighbour's sycamore! I've noticed that our blue tits are a bit fussy, leaving our seed feeders to the house sparrow gang most of the time, although they love hunting through our plants and bushes along with the wren and dunnock!

I also put out a log, drilled with holes and filled with a fat/peanut/seed mix. For ages (months, actually) nothing came to it, until, in the last couple of weeks when our robin has attacked it with a vengeance! And now, in the last couple of days, our m & f blackbirds have been dining there as well. The sparrows, however, have turned their noses up at it! It's quite amusing, really . . . our sparrows never fly away when we're out in the garden. Quite often, when we go out to replenish the feeders, they just sit there a couple of feet away until we're done and then they dive in. I swear I heard one of them licking his lips the last time!

I might try the niger seeds to see if I can entice a few finches. We're sadly lacking in greenfinch, chaffinch, and goldfinch in the gardens, although, as I said, they are very close by. It has always puzzled me, when we've got plenty of other garden birds (blue, great, LT and coal tits, sparrows, collared doves, starlings, robins, wrens, blackbirds, song & mistle thrushes woodies and magpies and even a blackcap last winter), why it is we never see finches here! And I don't think that the resident Sprawk has anything to do with it!

B (:

Al

[LMG]

Interesting, you don't get many finches. I get plenty, but in the 20 years I've been living here on the Mendips, I've never seen a house sparrow in my garden! Why? My friend gets them half a mile away but they won't come here. I always feed my birds peanuts and oats, plus the odd apple and fat ball. Always very popular

[Camberley red]

Just for the record, I live in a very bird unfriendly area, with a rather unpleasant factory area behind the house and a new factory and car park area very close by the side. The garden list has reached a heady 30 species however the regular suspects are:

House Sparrow - 15 to 20 members of the local gang;
Starling - about 20 at the moment, but these guys are winter visitors my summer flock have moved off south;
Goldfinch - up to 6 on the niger seed;
Blue Tit - a couple of regulars;
Great Tit - one ;
Chaffinch - one female plus irregular male;
Robin - one;
Dunnock - one;
Collared Dove - 6 regulars;
Blackbird - male and occasional female;
Magpie - 1 he eats the waste cat food!;
Great Spotted Woodpecker - irregular in new doors apple tree;
Goldcrest - occasional visitor to the conifers;
Rock Dove - local 3 dodgy charactors but they are fun to watch;
Wood Pigeon - used to be a regular but missing at the moment;

other species of note are:
Redwing;
Song Thrush;
Long-tailed Tit;
Coal Tit;
Reed Bunting;
Grey Wagtail;
Pied Wagtail;
Siskin;
Bull finch;
Green finch;
Sparrow hawk;
Winter Wren;
Blackcap;
Carrion Crow;

plus a fly over Nightjar and several gull species.

Good birding

Paul

[Reader]

Boy you should live here where I do. My garden list is Blue Tit, Robin, Magpie, Starling, we have heard a Wren recently I have seen a couple of Mistle Thrush, flyovers of a few Canada Geese and Gulls and that is about it. I haven't had a Blackbird, Sparrow or any other bird near to me. We did have one Sparrowhawk fly over once. This area I live in is not somewhere you would choose to live if you had the choice and the bird life reflects that. I have bird feed and fat balls in various areas of the garden and have changed the types of feed often to see if the change would bring birds in but no matter what I put out birds hardly ever visit. We have had days where we have sat out for long periods and all we have seen are a couple of Magpie's and that's it.

About 200 yards up the road there is a flock of 20 Sparrows and a few pairs of Pied Wagtails. Quite a few Pigeons are nearby and a few Collared Doves as well. I have seen Dunnock and Blackbird there as well but none of them come down here. Frustrating or what. I really miss having birds in my garden.

[Camberley red]

My list has been compiled over a 12 year period. Its strange that other birds are relitively close to you but do not visit.

I read a while back about a guy in Northumberland with a garden list of over 130 species, now thats what I call impressive!

I feed:
peanuts;
Jacobi Jayne Special Mix Husk-free blend 2 (no husks and no canary seed);
Jacobi Jayne Insect cake and high energy cake;
Niger seed;
Bread.

By using husk free, you do not get unwanted plants and grasses sprouting up under the feeders, its a little bit more expensive but I think you get better value because there is no wastage.

I tend to buy via the net from CJ Wildbird Foods as they donate a percentage of sales to the BTO - £2,424 this year already.

Good birding

Paul

[Gaye Horn]

I just wanted to say that we have what is referred to as a sock here .. it is a mesh bag and the niger seed here is pricey in comparison to other seeds... but the AMGF and Pine siskins LOVE this stuff and I have had as many as 11 goldfinch on one bag and the pine siskins will defend this seed bag with very aggressive motions! It is quite funny. I have both siskins and goldfinch eating niger seed from my hand.. it is a real winner here in terms of food.B (:

[Gaye Horn]

Forgot to mention the food of choice for my gang of feathers and wee creatures is BOSS
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

[burhinus]

Hi All
I have had a Niger Seed feeder in my garden for about 3 months now with nothing on it at all. Though Goldfinch come in to drink bathe and often fly over.

I know of a couple in Fakenham, Norfolk who last winter on one Niger feeder and some loose seed maintained a flock of 60 Goldfinch's throughout the winter.

burhinus

[Dave Smith]

In the last 28 years I have only seen Goldfinch in my garden twice. Once about six months ago and then more recently. This Christmas I received a Niger seed feeder which went up yesterday. As I type this, two goldfinches are feeding on it and have been doing so for about half an hour. I am impressed and live in the hope of many more.

[IanF]

We provide Niger seed thoughout the year and since we started doing so we have had daily visits from the Goldfinches, though nowadays they feed more on the sunflowers kernels. We get up to twenty on the feeders or sat around waiting their turn.

[Doug]

We have a flock of Goldfinch, maximum of 12 at a time, visiting our feeders here in Sheffield. It was the niger feeder that bought them to us but now they feed equally on the sunflower hearts and the niger seed. The odd greenfinch has a go at the niger feed but with liitle success due to the shape of their bills. I have found the Goldfinches to be very messy with the Niger seed and so have found a tray below the feeder to catch what they drop is essential to preserve the bank balance. They happily feed from the tray too.

[Andy Thatcher]

She whom should be obeyed bought me a Niger Feeder for my birthday, late November last year, and apart from 1 Goldfinch that found it within an hour not another bird have I seen near it since !

[Dave Smith]

Sorry to hear that Andy. My original 2 has now increased to 8 at any one time.

One aspect of their behaviour I find strange. They are mostly quite sociable and will happily sit 5 or 6 together feeding but there seems to be one individual who must chase all the others away before it will feed.

[Gaye Horn]

Andy make sure this seed does not get wet... and wait you will have more in time... they flock to the niger seed.. do you have a siskin there by chance? These wee birds are fighters to the end when it comes to a niger sock... they will not allow any Goldfinch near it when they are there.. quite funny to watch actually.

[Dave Smith]

I don't wish to bore anyone but my goldfinch numbers went up to 17 this afternoon. I guess this is a direct result of the snow.

[Gaye Horn]

Let it snow let it snow let it snow.. and please if you do not mind keep it where you are please!
WE have enjoyed a terrificly warm and very green winter thus far and it is amazing...

[Andy Thatcher]

Yes I have the occasional siskin but they are fastidiously avoiding the Niger seed as well !

I checked it today and while I didn't think it felt damp I still replaced it. Peanut and seed feeders have had the usual cue niger has not. I am certain that they will find it; eventually.

[Dave Smith]

Now that is what I would like to see in my garden, a siskin.
I have a red peanut feeder, black sunflower seed feeders and now a niger seed feeder. Is there anything else that can be done to attract them?

[Pedro vanman]

Hi There
I actually had a Siskin on my window feeders a couple of years ago.I was very pleased to see it, but it hasn't been back since.
Regards
Peter B (:

[oldbird]

it might sound like a lie but a couple years ago i put up a thisel feeder it sat thear till the seed went bad i seen a thisel sock at lowes it was cheap so i thout id try it withen a day it was coverd with finches needles to say i trased the tube feeder so if ur using a tube try a sock it cant hert and i have no idea how many little finches i have at times u cant even see the sock

[andyb]

I've just put niger seed out for the first time today. I've got one goldfinch amongst a flock of greenfinch and house sparrows feeding on sunflower kernels over the last few days. Not sure I want to invest in a specialist feeder so I've made it out of a plastic milk bottle and a coat hanger! Waiting to see now if my goldfinch discovers it and tells its mates :)

andyb

[Janie]

I have a thistle sock and it's a big hit. I've had to fill it every 2 or 3 days. When it gets low there are some fights over it and a waiting line. The juncos hang out underneath waiting for anything that drops.

[paula]

Janie, have you a picture of this 'Thistle Sock'? It has been mentioned once or twice and sounds very good to me. I do not think that you can get them in the UK but we could put out a major order to get them in the USA.
I too hung up a specialised niger seed feeder and never had a bird on it! Although there are goldfinches on my patch, I rarely see them on the feeders. Hopefully all my planting of native seed-bearing plants is paying off and the finches prefer their natural food as I still see them on the real thistle heads.

[vicky@glos]

Can anyone show me what type of feeder you all have for the niger seed.
I have greenfinch, goldfinch and chaffinch but not sure which feeder to put it in.
Please describe it or attach a photo with your post.

I have had it on my birdtable - one 1 or 2 chaffinches have found it.
I have put some out in a tray and still onle a few chaffinches have found it. I have a new 4 port hole feeder and as soon as I mixed some seed with it and put it in this feeder I had 2 goldfinches and a few greenfinch.

I have been here 5 years and only just found 1 place that sold this seed but the woman in the shop said that she does not know if they will ever get any more.

I have the birds here but wish to feed them proberly.

Vicky@glos

[seb_seb]

birds regular in garden: dunnock, wren,wood pigeon,blackbird,chaffinch,wren,robin,longtailed tit,blue tit great tit and coal tit, sparrowhawk,goldcrest
birds that fly over but never come in:starling,house sparrow,collared dove and greenfinch
one offs:tree sparrow,gs woodpecker,blackcap,redwing and zebra finch(escape)

[Blackbird]

I've put up a Niger feeder about a week ago but the Goldfinches seem to prefer the peanuts.

[Andrew]

I also put up a niger seed feeder and it hasn't been touched. It was to keep the Goldfinches here for the summer, never mind as they prefer the peanuts and have stayed for three weeks now! I am a happy man.

[bcurrie]

Andrew,

Do the Goldfinches eat the shelled peanuts, or do you put out the raw unshelled? I wouldn't think they would go for the shelled, but who knows? (Well, you do, that's why I am asking)

[Andrew]

I have shelled peanuts (no shells) in a tube cage feeder and a block of peanuts bonded together somehow and put in a block cage. They like these despite the niger seed feeder being only a foot away!

It doesn't make sense to say peanuts without shells are shelled and vice versa! What do you think of this irrational use of words?

[paula]

Andrew, do not despair.......I have a special nyger feeder and this is the first time in 2 years that it is actually being used by several pairs of nesting goldfinches. They seem to like being in the thick of things with the rowdy greenfinches on the giant feeder next to them.

[Andrew]

Mine do come at the same time as the pair of Greenfinches sometimes as well.