What foods should I put in my Essex feeders? (1 Viewer)

Next, I'd like to see in the garden (after male chaffinch) is greenfinches in the garden - any tips?

Keep with the sunflower hearts, they will be happy with that. Got them here as I type, but unfortunately their numbers have declined rapidly in the past 8 years or so because of the tricho parasite. They also like black sunflowers.

Thanks, will wait a bit then.

Just an update...

I put in the nyger and sunflower hearts feeders on 7th January, along with the usual wild bird seed, peanuts and fat balls, and a water table.
Currently have 'resident' four goldfinch (think two pairs), a pair of chaffinch the last few days (hanging round under the feeders but not seen on them yet), a robin, two great tit, two or three blue tit, around 8 house sparrows (but occasionally up to about 20), similar numbers of starling, 2 wood pigeon, 4 collared dove, 2 feral pigeon, 2 fancy feral pigeon, 1 male blackbird, and last week 2 robin, but haven't seen either for the last week. Also had a sparrowhawk sitting in the sycamore at the end of the garden, once, watching the feeders. I know it has been seen regularly in the next street, and would love to see it back... with trepidation!
Really hoping the chaffinch pair will take to the feeders, and my next hope is for some greenfinch which I haven't seen yet but have heard a couple of times in the nearby park). Have also had a dunnock hopping about around the edge of the garden, seen sporadically.

Also, I upset the sparrows a bit by changing one of my small seed feeders to a 'six port' feeder, and none of them would touch it for three or four days, but they are all using it now, and the tits have started using it too.

Anyone having problems with nyger etc, it is definitely worth persevering. The goldfinches initially were only viewed first thing in the morning, but now they are out there all day long, and often sit for 4 or 10 minutes at a time on the nyger feeder.

Thanks for everyone's help here - very worthwhile indeed.
Debbie

Be happy about the sparrows, Debbie. I sadly can´t see a handfull in my village which is with 2000+ inhabitants not really small. 25 yers ago we had a handfull breeding pairs only in our own yard! Chaffinches don´t use feeders much, at least not in our yard, they prefer to stay on the ground and walking around there, like wagtails.
Also keep in mind that it´s already spring and birds do find food also on other places like feeders. Feeding the whole year is just common in the UK, US and Canada. Also the typical nyjer/suet feeder is a English thing. No one here feeds pure nyjer seeds.

Very interesting to get different perspective of garden birds, stonechat1, thank you. I think here too a lot of people would be delighted to see sparrows in the garden, we are lucky here in the South and East to still have good numbers of them - they are virtually gone in London, just 40 miles away.

As to the nyjer, it's only the goldfinches that are taking them, but I'm happy enough with that to continue.

Update on update: that was quick! - I had the first Greenfinch this morning!

Today had five goldfinch, a PAIR of greenfinch, a PAIR of blackbirds, a PAIR of chaffinch, starlings taking nesting material, a magpie, four collared doves, two feral pigeon, a wood pigeon, many starling and house sparrow. And I have probably only been looking for an hour in total all day. Haven't seen either the dunnock or the robins for must be a few weeks, but maybe just as well - it's getting expensive!

Sounds like it's going pretty well Debbie! Our feeders are still relatively quiet because of the time of year, but we still have a good selection, just in lesser numbers!

It just shows that it's worth persevering (and getting lots of advice from the wonderful forum members!)

Debbie