Golfinches!!! - updated (1 Viewer)

I recovered this thread that I lost in the crash:

david2004
I love goldfinches and really wanted to attract them to the birdtable. We live by a copse and some fields and I thought I might be able to get some, as many other people in Kent have. I bought a Niger seed feeder with seed in May. It sat there til November, with nothing.

I gave up and threw it away. But today...my mum called me to say there was a Bullfinch perching in the shrubs. I was pleased as I hadn't had any for years here. I couldn't see it, and then I eventually found two!.....GOLDFINCHES! My mum had got confused, but oh well! They fed on some seedheads in the flowerbed for a few minutes :bounce: , but then disappeared :C

I was amazed and couldn't believe it! I had been trying to attract them for ages and had NEVER seen one in this county. I had only ever seen one male in a tree in Suffolk!


It was brilliant!!! So, how can I attract them back? Is it likely that they will return? Should I put the Niger feeder back up and get more seed?

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Elizabeth Bigg
Niger is what attracted goldfinches to my garden - two within two days of putting up a special feeder, and the number gradually increased to 17-ish. However now the sunflower hearts (in two hanging feeders) are used much more than the niger. It might be worth trying niger again - but maybe try hearts first?

(This was from November 2003 onwards - I only have 6 or 7 goldfinches at the moment).

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david2004
Thanks Elizabeth- I've tried sunflower hearts before, but I might as well again. I only stopped when hearing stories of it not being bought from reputable suppliers (like me at the time), and made the birds ill or caused death in some cases.

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florall
I noticed in the latest CJ Wildbird Food catalogue, that they no longer recommend buying a niger feeder unless you already have goldfinches in the garden. Too many disgruntled customers finding they didn't attract them in, no doubt. I bought mine a year ago and within days had goldfinches in the garden, so sometimes they do work (had never had them before). They didn't become regular last winter, but have come frequently since early this autumn. Now the niger feeder is on one of those candelabra stands, with three sunflower heart/mixed feed feeders next to it, and I find the goldfinches feed on both niger and heart. I don't usually have more than three at a time, but they're there much of the time. Beautiful birds. Hope you manage to keep yours.

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Elizabeth Bigg
Just seen eight on the hearts and black sunfower seeds - maybe on the niger too, but with rain streaming down the windows, it's not too easy to tell!!!!!

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BirdieKate
How exciting! I love goldfinches and enjoy them very much here in Massachusetts. Is your niger feeder in a metal tube, or a sock? I have used both but somehow, the sock always seems to get immediate attention! It's a white mesh "sock" and they cling to it while other birds (namely the house sparrow, that bain of my feeder existence) doesn't seem to like to hang out on that as much.

I had been feeding the goldfinches with the sock very successfully until this spring, when here in eastern Mass. we had a flood of chipmunks - we had a horrible winter last year and suddenly chipmunks found they must reproduce like crazy. Well anyways, I look out at the sock one day and it is moving. A chipmunk was IN IT, he'd climbed up the pole, chewed a hole right into the sock, and was filling those cheeks, running off to empty them, and coming right back. So goodbye sock, hello metal mesh niger feeder, which nixed the chipmunk problem but it just hasn't been as successful with the goldfinches. I let it go empty more than a week this fall, and they haven't been back to my yard until last week!!! I think I may put up that sock again, something about the white of it attracts them. Come to think of it, I've always heard that the yellow of the sunflower was what helped to attract them...?

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Bluetail
Goldfinches and Greenfinches are the two most plentiful visitors to my garden (though for some reason numbers are well down on last winter - but that's by the way). I've never bothered with niger. They're perfectly happy with sunflower hearts. One thing: I hang up three feeders in the same tree. The finches travel in groups and I'm not sure they'd be happy fighting over just one. Three gives them a bit of choice. But then I can't imagine anyone here sticks to just one feeder!

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david2004
Thanks for al your replies.
BirdieKate: I mean European goldfinches so I'm not sure the same will apply with American Goldfinches.

Greenfinches are plentiful here too. The Goldfinches have not returned yet, but hopefully will. I keep thinking : They came just by chance looking for food. Maybe they travelled a long way? No-one has seen goldfinches here before, and I have been feeding birds here on and off for 4 years. Got interest back so full on feeding now, but what if they never return? They certainly didn't stay long, or seem to have gone to the feeders at all!

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Bluetail
David, I wouldn't worry about that. Keep at it and give it time. I never used to see Goldfinches in my garden at all (bar one or two odd records) until I increased the number of feeders. Once they discovered there were easy pickings here without too much need to squabble over them, word spread. I live on a hillside with panoramic views over suburbia and can see the small groups of finches flying in from a radius of at least half a mile (if not more). They are quite happy to travel if the food is guaranteed!

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poppet27
Hiya

I found Niger seed works OK. I've normally seen them in the garden earlier than now but they are a little late this year. Maybe you should look at the position of your feeder?

When my feeder was near the other general feeding station I had no luck. But I moved it to the side of the house just outside my kitchen window which is a little more secluded.

This seemed to work as first I got some interest from the Siskins and then the goldfinches appeared, and they've been pretty regular ever since.

Hope this helps! Glad to see you got such joy from them anyway, well done you

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songbird
Maybe you should look at the position of your feeder?

When my feeder was near the other general feeding station I had no luck. But I moved it to the side of the house just outside my kitchen window which is a little more secluded.


I had the same thing. When I was just using two feeding places along the side of my garden, nothing. Then last winter I thought it would be nice to see a few birds out of the living room window instead of leaning on the kitchen worktop, so I set up another place using shelf brackets attached to the fence, with feeders hanging from them, niger, sunflower hearts and peanuts. I had goldfinches appear from nowhere within a few weeks, and now I am getting three or four all the time (maximum last winter was 11).

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florall
I never used to see Goldfinches in my garden at all (bar one or two odd records) until I increased the number of feeders. Once they discovered there were easy pickings here without too much need to squabble over them, word spread. I live on a hillside with panoramic views over suburbia and can see the small groups of finches flying in from a radius of at least half a mile (if not more). They are quite happy to travel if the food is guaranteed!

Maybe that's why I'm getting so many more and so regularly this winter compared to last, because this year I've got several feeders close together. (last year the niger feeder was on its own, and separate from the one seed feeder I had.) I hadn't thought of that but it does make sense.

I also remember reading that birds like to have feeders close together because it's a bit more of a protection for them, one bird looking out for predators while the others feed.

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trishhickson
Yes Ive got three feeders of sunflower hearts and also a Niger feeder, they use them all but the hearts are the most popular. I have been stunned by the numbers im getting now. I must do a head count but there are lots! They are so beautiful.

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david2004
Thanks everyone. Maybe I should reposition the feeder. It was literally inches away from the others, in the main feeding station. It sounds like a good idea! Will need to buy more Niger though...I just don't understand why they haven't been seen around here before!

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Jake Apps
The best time for them is in spring, visit a field with lots of thistles, and you should see a few small flocks.

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david2004
Thanks Jake. I've now been told by parents that I can't put Niger back up because "it made loads of thistles appear blablabla"! What do I do now?!?

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trishhickson
You can get a dish which will screw on the bottom of some niger feeders. This will catch most of the fallout. CJs do them. I think thistles are nice anyway. Good luck!

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Keithec
Thanks Jake. I've now been told by parents that I can't put Niger back up because "it made loads of thistles appear blablabla"! What do I do now?!?

Argue the case for thistles because that will attract them next year. Your response could be "native plant, supports wildlife, biodiversity blablabla!" While you're at it plant some teasel and evening primrose. I just have a few of each in my garden and a small flock of goldfinches have been on them most mornings for the last few weeks.

Keith

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Bluetail
Thanks Jake. I've now been told by parents that I can't put Niger back up because "it made loads of thistles appear blablabla"! What do I do now?!?Or switch to sunflower hearts! But do still get the dish Trish mentions because if your parents don't like the thistles they probably won't like spilt sunflower hearts either (they've killed the grass under my feeders).

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david2004
Thanks everyone. I did have a seed tray, oh well. No goldfinches today. Must buy some sunflower hearts - they can be quite expensive though

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Nina P
I was staggerred to see two goldfinches feeding on peanuts today and there were also six longtailed tits at the same feeder, I sited the sunflower hearts and peanut feeder in the damson tree and the tree was bristling with activity of two greenfinches, six longtailed tits four goldfinches and two house sparrows and two starlings not to mention the pair of blackbirds and pheasant and two woodpigeons and four chaffinches on the ground beneath them all.

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david2004
Thats great Nina!

UPDATE:
Saw one Goldfinch today! It returned to the same bush and was feeding for a couple of minutes. It then got scared by something and flew, but I didn't see where it went! When it arrived it seemed to come from very nearby. Don't want to get my hopes up, but is it possible that now they have discovered a food source, they will return?

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Nina P
Definately, as I never had any here until last year when they arrived after much trying to lure them with nijer seed and after giving up they have been coming here ever since! they liked the sunflower hearts the first time but now they come in from all over the place and eat peanuts too!

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david2004
Thanks Nina, I must get some Sunflower hearts!

UPDATE:

I saw a Goldfinch on the seed feeder today! It was eating Sunflower hearts! Will it come back and stay now that it has found the feeding station? Will it bring more? There were two around once but at the feeder today there was only one

goldfinches

[FONT=Arial

I saw a Goldfinch on the seed feeder today! It was eating Sunflower hearts! Will it come back and stay now that it has found the feeding station? Will it bring more? There were two around once but at the feeder today there was only one[/QUOTE]
Goldfinches love burdock(arctium minus),gather a couple of handfulls of the seedheads,they contain a small black seed which they love. spread them out on the ground and cover with a handfull of niger, once the finches locate they will visit regular.Burdock is available at this time of year, in season from late autumn till spring.beware of getting dust or parts of plant in eyes! it will irritate badly!

David

I tried niger seed unsuccessfuly 4 years ago but after seeing some siskin last year I tried again with a niger seed feeder. The Siskin disappeared but were replaced by a flock of roughly 12 Goldfinch which have now been regulars for the last year. I get through about 2 Kg niger seed a month.

Thanks Terry and Tom. I gave up on Nyjer seed as it didn't work! I am also not allowed it for some reason now (parents!!). I saw the Goldie again today - twice. Both times it was feeding on the Sunflower hearts.

What are the chances that it'll stay, and bring more with it??

I get Greenfinch and Chaffinch in my garden but the only time I had Goldfinch was when the garden went a bit wild and there were loads of Dandelion flowers. What a good excuse not to garden!

They are beautiful birds and I would love to see them again.
The Greenfinch love the Sunflower Hearts but,sadly, this hasn't attracted any Goldfinch. Don't know whether I will try Niger Seeds? It seems to be a hit or miss affair whether this will attract them by what I've read?

Liz

David, stick with the sunflower hearts, all the birds love it. I had a few in the garden couple of weeks ago, but they've disappeared now. Birds come and go, but they know what side their bread is buttered.

Regards

how did you manage to recover the file???

Goldfinches

david2004 said:

Thanks Terry and Tom. I gave up on Nyjer seed as it didn't work! I am also not allowed it for some reason now (parents!!). I saw the Goldie again today - twice. Both times it was feeding on the Sunflower hearts.

What are the chances that it'll stay, and bring more with it??

Click to expand...

Moving the feeders and experimenting with different seeds worked wonders in our garden. The feeders used to be hung under a bird table, one filled with peanuts, the other with black sunflower. The table was about 15ft from the patio windows, any sign of movement from the house used to scatter any feeding birds.
We now have 3 feeder tubes suspended from apple trees further down the garden filled with a mixture of black and white sunflower seeds, these regularily attract mixed feeding flocks of around 30 to 40 birds (3 to 12 Goldfinches daily). The security offered by the branches obviously preferable to an exposed bird table

Thanks Maurice and Helen! Good advice from both of you :bounce:

Timmy - I used the Google cache. See http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=27996 and http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=27914

Goldfinches

I've had my first Goldfinches in the garden this year, feeding on sunflower hearts. They absolutely love them and have been feeding non stop. I also now have a Greenfinch family, bluetits and sparrows using the feeder too. The Goldfinches have been on the Nijer feeder but not nearly as much as the sunflower hearts. Good Luck with encouraging them down. Cheers Lynnylentil

We have kept our goldfinches right through from last summer, when we put out nijer seed, first in one large feeder, then accompanied by two more smaller ones. 13 was our top total at any one time.
They do like to eat occasionally from the general seed feeder, and like yours Lynne, they obviously enjoy sunflower hearts.
They give us such pleasure, and breakfast time is lovely as we can watch them feeding too! :clap:

Interesting the comments about the Niger seed and sunflower hearts.

Three friends have taken up bird watching this year and each asked about Goldfinches after hearing about the ones we get daily in the garden. I advised them to buy niger and sunflowers hearts. The two who bought both got them in the garden within a week. The one who just bought sunflowers hearts now has them as well but several weeks after the others.

I'd still say it's best to provide niger, but even with us once they are in the garden, it's the sunflwer hearts they mainly eat.

I agree with June, they are the most satisfyling of species to see in the grden. Although I guess they're a 'common' visitor now with around 20 of them popping in, they're still my favourite garden visitor :t:

Goldfinches stopped coming into my garden a year or two ago. I tried to tempt them back with niger seed but it remained untouched for months.

Then, I suddenly saw one feeding on the sunflower hearts Id started to put out. I quickly put the niger feeder back out and now they feed from it every day.

My tip, Put out sunflower hearts to allow all the other birds to feed. As soon as you see a goldfich put the niger feeder out also.

That's great news Big D. My Goldfinches have disappeared, once again! In fact Chaffinches and Greenfinches have virtually disappeared too, except for the odd one or two.

I think yours must have all come here David. My feeding area which comprises a sunflower hearts feeder, peanuts, black sunflower seed feeder and 2 niger feeders on the rotary clothesline is attracting so many I can't count. There were 23 female chaffinches on the ground alone this morning, and at least that many assorted greenfinches and siskins on the feeders, plus around 20 housesparrows.

songbird said:

I think yours must have all come here David. My feeding area which comprises a sunflower hearts feeder, peanuts, black sunflower seed feeder and 2 niger feeders on the rotary clothesline is attracting so many I can't count. There were 23 female chaffinches on the ground alone this morning, and at least that many assorted greenfinches and siskins on the feeders, plus around 20 housesparrows.

Click to expand...

It must be a Welsh thing ? I have never seen so many finches as this year !!

I bought my other half a Niger bird feeder as a treat a while ago, after about a week we were amazed to see a pair of goldfinches on it - lovely birds.
In the past coulple of days i have seen a greenfinch on the birdtable. We have a few coal tits, blue tits, robin, 3 blackbirds, starlings (usualy on the fatball feeder) 2 collered doves, 2 woodpidgeons and a squirel (which usualy sits in the wooden hanging bird feeder).

We dont have a garden as such, its just a gravel bit outside the window, with a corner fenced off where the wheelie bin goes - we set up some feeders there and a tree in a pot. It's not much but its nice)

Good news that the Welsh birds are doing OK! Earlier in the year, I had 20-30 (at least) Greenfinches and up to 20 Chaffinches. I wonder what happened to them all?!