Niger Feeder

[Brian T]

Hi

I have only been a member since 20th Feb 04, but have been interested in birds for many years.

Two years ago we moved from Horley, adjacent to Gatwick Airport, to Edenbridge in Kent, (just). We left a backyard that attracted nothing but starlings and Collard Doves and now have a long but narrow garden, surrounded by trees and shrubs.

The difference a few well established plants makes to garden bird watching is fantastic. Our list has already reached 61 species details of which I will include under the appropriate section.

Inspite of the dramatic increase in bird numbers and species, we were unable to attract Goldfinches into the garden. So I was very interested in all the comments relating to Niger feeders and thought I would add my own experience.

Goldfinches were regularly heard flying over the garden and even perched in nearby Oak Trees. But how to tempt them down?

A friend had told me about Niger seed and how someone they knew had used it in conjunction with Teasel, with great success. So I located a patch of Teasel growing alongside the A21 and collected some of the stems with seed heads. I filled a flower pot with earth pushed the stems into it and placed this on a low wall in full view of any passing Goldfinch. I then sprinkled the seed heads with the Niger seed, sat back and waited for flocks of Goldfinches to home in on the banquet. Nothing! For months we waited but not one single Goldfinch.

Now it occured to me that Goldfinches are not stupid. They would know that a bunch of dead, dried up Teasel heads would not have any seed left in them. They are fully aware of time and season and what plants contain seed and when.

So I gave up on the Teasel and bought a purpose made Niger Feeder and having topped and pruned back a large conifer, I hung this feeder on one of its branches. No immediate success but eventually they found it and now they are a daily visitor to the garden. At this time of year, from February untill April the Goldfinches are joined by numerous Siskins. What a beautiful sight.

Just a note to say that we changed our Niger feeder because the holes were too big and most of the seed ended up on the floor. The new feeder has much smaller holes, drastically reducing spillage. We placed a paving slab beneath the feeder to catch what does fall and this is soon snapped up.

[scampo]

A year ago, a friend bought a niger feeder and when i asked him, he told me not to waste my money as it had attracted not a thing.

This year he's attracted daily goldfinces, bullfinches, siskins and redpolls to it! Odd things, birds!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

A year ago, a friend bought a niger feeder and when i asked him, he told me not to waste my money as it had attracted not a thing.

This year he's attracted daily goldfinces, bullfinches, siskins and redpolls to it! Odd things, birds!

It took only 3 or 4 days for the goldfinches to discover my special niger feeder back in November, and the numbers soon reached 19. Later the siskins arrived, until at the peak I had 72 - at this point I had 2 large niger feeders! A couple of weeks ago, 3 redpolls arrived, though I haven't seen them for a few days now, and most of the siskins have gone. I'm hoping that the goldfinch numbers will increase now there is more room for them on the feeders.

[scampo]

I haven't bothered with niger seed - in fact all I seem to be doing at present is feeding the blessed squirrels.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I haven't bothered with niger seed - in fact all I seem to be doing at present is feeding the blessed squirrels.

I've been able to squirrel-proof my hanging feeders and my bird table by installing baffles on the poles! In the foreground is my new pole feeder - the squirrels have not been able to get round the seed tray/squirrel baffle (I've had this for four months). In the background there is a triple feeder on the left, and the bird table on the right - no squirrels have managed these in 12 years!

[scampo]

A rather superior garden than ours, Elizabeth - we once owned a house with a similar garden and attracted scores more birds than we now do.

I have looked at squirrel proofing our feeders but haven't done so owing to the cost - but yours looks a far less ambitious affair than the ones I looked at a whilke back, and you say it works well. Did you make is yourself or did it come as a kit?

[Norbert]

I too bught a nyjer feeder some time ago in the hope of attracting Goldfinches. Siskins found it straight away and they have been regular visitors every since - in fact they are now the most frequent visitors to the garden. It took at least 6 months before the Goldfinches arrived but we now regularly get up to 6 at a time - I got very excited the first time I saw one perched on the feeder! I have a tray fixed to the bottom of my feeder (from CJ Birdfoods) and I find this keeps the seeds from falling on the garden, although it needs to be cleaned regularly.

Also, on the subject of squirrel proofing feeders I find the cage type things that fit over the feeders (again from CJ) have proved very successful. I found my peanut and sunflower feeders were being emptied by the local squirrels at a ridiculous rate and the cages have stoped them completely. The downside is that they do also seem to exclude Starlings.

[Gill Osborne]

Just LOVE the feeder set-up you have there Elizabeth! I think that's what I need to get for my own garden...this winter has not been as good birdwise as previous winters so I'm looking to putting more feeders out...and crossing my fingers LOL
Last year (2002-2003) I often had as many as thirteen Goldfinches visiting at any one time - this winter (2003-2004) I have had the grand total of FIVE!!!!! Not sure exactly why such a decrease in numbers - the only thing I can think of is the new neighbours behind us have totally destroyed the lovely wild garden that was previously there! It had a dilapidated old shed which was covered, and probably being held up by,loads of ivy,huge clumps of brambles and two enormous elder trees. Now the elders,brambles and ivy have all been ripped out, the shed pulled down and even the tree between our garden and theirs (but in their grounds) has been seriously pruned and thinned to within an inch of it's life!!! I don't know why they don't just plonk down a load of decking and have done with it!!! They've certainly snookered up a fantastic wildlife habitat!!!
So, this summer, what I'm planning to do is get more climbers on the fences, install some insect hibernation boxes and get more bird feeders...perhaps even try to fit in a pond as well.
Perhaps then I will get my Goldfinches and Wren back!

GILL

[Gill Osborne]

Whoops...forgot to say that,once I was being visited regularly by the Goldfinches,I bought some niger seed and put it in a separate feeder but the little devils ignored it!!! Still preferred the basic wild bird mix from the pet shop! It was the House Sparrows which seemed to love the niger!
I will perservere though and have just sown some Teasel seed in the greenhouse to, hopefully, get planted out this year and flower/seed in Autumn 2005.

GILL

[jan penny]

I have a variety of feeders hanging in a Robinia tree in my back garden. I recently bought a niger seed feeder and seed in order to attract Goldfinches. I knew they were around but they always seemed to give our garden a wide birth. Within what seemed like only minutes there were 4 Goldfinches in the garden. It is now a couple of weeks later and we regularly have Goldfinches and all sorts of other birds. What amuses me though is that although I have to regularly top up my other feeders with the various mixes I provide, the niger seed remains untouched!! I am completely baffled by this as before I put it out the Goldfinches were not interested in us. I am thinking of passing it and its contents on to my Mum to see if she has any success. The other more worrying thing that happened to me was descovering a cannabis plant growing under my general purpose mix feeder??!!

[mkdon]

Have you seen the upside down feeders? The holes for the nyjer seed are below the perches. The goldfinches have no problems using it, but the less agile birds are unable.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

............ The other more worrying thing that happened to me was descovering a cannabis plant growing under my general purpose mix feeder??!!

Well I wouldn't know what a cannabis plant looked like! Don't know if it would be useful in defence if it came to the crunch, but I suggest an immediate memory loss re this plant and its appearance!

[jan penny]

Fortunately or unfortunately i have inside info as I am a police officer!!! Rest assured the plant is no more!!

[ChrisP]

Fortunately or unfortunately i have inside info as I am a police officer!!! Rest assured the plant is no more!!
Jan, That had me laughing, you being a police officer. Obviously the plant came from the hemp seed which is in the mixed feed. I thought that the seed was treated to stop germination, it would be worth while checking with the food supplier. Thanks for the laugh.
I too wanted to attract Goldfinches and was told that Sunflower Hearts were the best. Put those in the feeder, Nothing.... Saw niger seed was guaranteed to attract them. Bought some and a feeder put that up, and the very next day there they were, but not on the Niger seed but on the Sunflower hearts I put out 2 weeks previously. Funny things birds.

Best Wishes

Chris

[jan penny]

You are right Chris the hemp seed should not be viable. As only 1 plant grew I suspect that it was just 1 seed that got away so to speak!! Good lesson to learn though because many people would not know the plants that were growing under their bird feeders. I didn't recognise it straight away. Mind you, the collered doves have been particularly laid back recently??!!!

[scampo]

Good job you didn't have a garden bonfire, eh?

[Adey Baker]

I will perservere though and have just sown some Teasel seed in the greenhouse to, hopefully, get planted out this year and flower/seed in Autumn 2005.

GILL

Just spotted this posting, Gill

I planted some a year or three ago - despite being advised not to bother!

It certainly attracted Goldfinches - eventually - but it seeds down all over the place!

I planted it in the back garden but that hasn't stopped it seeding down in the frontgarden, usually in the awkwardest of places.

Take my advice (I know you won't - just like I didn't!) plant it out in the wild somewhere and keep it out of your garden.

Adey

[gillian]

Goldfinches ignored our niger feeder for almost a year although they did visit the sunflower hearts regularly. But late winter this year they caught on and now we have to refill the niger frequently.

It has been great this spring to see not only about half a dozen goldfinches feeding but they bring their young as well, excelllent!

Gillian

[John N]

All the Goldfinches totally ignored the niger seed. As for the sunflower hearts they can't get enough of them. Also true for Greenfinch, Bullfinch and SQUIRREL.

[Marmot]

From someone who has both the plant and the feeder I found the following.

The feeder was used within days of it being put up and sometimes squabbles did happen over it - so I thought I would buy a Teasel plant and see what happened. The first year while it was establising itself it was ignored but last year they seemed to realise what it was and they seemed to approve. The only trouble is that it was not deep rooted and finally toppled over in the strong winds thus spilling the seed onto the floor. This resulted in hundreds of tiny plants coming through this spring :-( I did manage to get rid of most of them but left a few for new plants.

I still use my niger feeder and top it up as and when it is used but I find they love sunflower hearts even more.