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Finch sock failure? (1 Viewer)

InfernoOrangeSS

InfernoOrangeSS

Veritas Aequitas
I have several feeders out at the moment, 2 Hummingbird feeders, 2 suet feeders, and a good size seed feeder. I also put out a Finch sock. All my other feeders routinely have birds on them, but the Finch sock has gone unnoticed apparently. Never a bird, and the feed is not touched as it's still at the same level. Is there something I'm missing, or are the finches just not noticing it?
 
I finally stopped using them as they went untouched for so long that the seed wood turn bad.

Occasionally I would have Goldfinches use them but the finches all seem to enjoy the sunflower hearts much more.
 
Well, I have noticed a Carolina Chickadee or two will hop on the sock and grab a few seeds while waiting for the Cardinals to leave the regular seed feeder. I think I'll keep it up a little while longer and see if it attracts any finches.
 
KC Foggin said:
You might see a difference once the weather gets colder.
Click to expand...

You were very right. As it got colder, I saw more activity. Usually, it was just the chickadees eating at it while they waited for the cardinals to leave the seed feeders I have. Last week, I go out to my patio, and I see a lot of the seed from the sock on the patio floor. I was sure a squirrel had jumped on it and opened a hole that was leaking seed. Nope. The sock was completely intact. Lately, I've noticed every day I have some finches eating from my Finch sock. I'm loving it, and feel so accomplished that I left it up longer. I'll definitely keep one up from now on. The finches are just incredible to watch, and I'm happy to help them out.

I'm talking 4-6 finches on the sock at a time sometimes.
 
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I would like to add that my finch socks have been such a success, that I have had to expand to 4 of them. When I had only 2, I had on average, probably about 6-8 finches on each sock. They were draining them every 2-3 days. I can not fully express how enjoyable it is to see so many finches come to my back yard. They are adorable and so much fun to watch!
If you put out some finch socks...even one, like I did...you will be rewarded.
 
'Finch sock,' you learn something new every day.

Anyway, I'm not finding that the nyger seed goes over well in any feeder anymore. I've been wondering if they've changed it in some way, the stuff I buy, as when they removed the taste from tomatoes, or done something else to it to make it unappealing.
 
Ruff said:
'Finch sock,' you learn something new every day.

Anyway, I'm not finding that the nyger seed goes over well in any feeder anymore. I've been wondering if they've changed it in some way, the stuff I buy, as when they removed the taste from tomatoes, or done something else to it to make it unappealing.
Click to expand...

Nyger sometimes goes off, not sure whether it is mold or something else,
but usually dumping the old and replacing it helps. One glitch is that the birds may have been conditioned to ignore that feeder, so repositioning it may help.
 
I've had the same experience: it can go off, not only in the feeders but even when stored indoors. So it's best not to buy too much of it at one time.
 
My experience is that our finches will use the nyger feeder when the sunflower heart feeder is fully occupied, otherwise they mostly ignore it. They seem to have a definite preference for the sunflower hearts.
 
Congratulations to InfernoOrangeSS on your increasing population of finches! May you enjoy them for many seasons to come. |:d|

I have read that the food value of nyjer seed resides in the oil content. If the seed dries out due to age or improper processing it is no longer attractive to the birds. See article: https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/b...hes-might-not-eat-the-nyjer-seed-you-provide/ (The article also contains tips on what to look for when purchasing seed.)

A dearth of visitors at the finch sock might also be due to the size of the holes in the mesh. I experienced this with one, mesh nyjer feeder which needed to have additional holes made in it with a small awl before the birds began to feed from it.
 
andyadcock said:
Is this another example of over PC'ness?

I thought it was Niger, same as the country, will that now be called Nyjer?


A
Click to expand...

For my part, I can't be accused of intending to mix politics with bird-seed when the post was written. "Nyjer" is the spelling on the bags of food I purchase, so that's the spelling I use. Why others spell it that way, I have not heard. :scribe:

Note: The same seed is also referred to in the above thread as "nyger" - a hybrid of the two spellings, I suppose...
 
Kits said:
Nope.

You might find this article informative.
Click to expand...

And you might find this informative

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2011/11/30/winegar

Seems to stem from three things IMHO, the fact that many Americans are not aware of the pronunciation of Niger (nee-jair) , that there is a country of the same name and the fact that it looks to some, uncomfortably like another more unpleasant word?

It just surprised me when I saw it as I've never seen it spelled this way but I immediately suspected, rightly or wrongly, why it had been done


A
 
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I found the article interesting.

I guess one's reaction to the differing spellings depends on one's personality.

I am really surprised you'd not see niger spelled nyjer before.
 
Kits said:
I found the article interesting.

I guess one's reaction to the differing spellings depends on one's personality.

I am really surprised you'd not see niger spelled nyjer before.
Click to expand...

I don't know why personality would come in to it, are you implying something?

From the article I linked, it's clear that I'm not the only one who's never seen this spelling and living as we do in an age of 'bah bah green sheep', I think plenty would assume the reason for the change as I and the shop owner in the link did.
 
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