[ArchAngel]

well its official we now have four new birds in our garden. they are goldfinch, long tailed tit, blackcap and dunnock. we are very excited about the goldfinch as we have put up two nyjer feeders in the hope that they would turn up, there are five of them but so far they seem to be only interested in the elder bush at the bottom of the garden.

[helenol]

Great news. I found, in my previous house, that once a few goldfinches turned up, many many more followed. Mind you, greenfinches are the same too. In my present abode, I didn't see a greenfinch for ages, until one day when just one turned up. Now there are loads of them. Congrats on the blackcap too, lovely little birds.

Regards

[Andy Bright]

Excellent news with the Blackcap, I always think there's something special about having a Warbler in the garden. Put an insect based fat cake out or hang a few apples up and hopefully you will see a few more through the winter.
regards,
Andy

[Fuchsia]

You lucky thing!
There are still some Blackcaps here taking advantage of the Elder trees. A lot of birds like them and they grow like wildfire!
I'd be very excited about the Long Tailed Tit. They pass through here very occasionally - gorgeous little things.

Jen :-))

[sparroweye]

I have seen besides my usual red cardinal, carolina chickadee, bluejay, tufted titmouse, we had a grey catbird and a Pine warbler. I am waiting for the
Northern Parula and american redstart. I have also seen a female summer tanager in my bird bath. It seems my migratory birds in Florida are late this
year. Last winter in January I saw my first rose-breasted grosbeak. Sorry that I have been absent for quite a while at the forum. But I have continued my
birding.

[ROBCALLY]

I also have new birds in my garden, I live in a built up area with lots of housing and factories around me usually I only get House Sparrows 50+,Blue Tits, Great Tits,Starlings,Magpies,Dunnock,Blackbirds,Doves & Wood Pigeon on and around the feeders.
But to my surprize a Goldfinch and a flock of Long Tailed Tits have been paying my garden a visit, really pleased.
Robcally

[sparroweye]

Yes, Robcally isn't it lovely when you are given a gift of extra-ordinary birds like that!
I was lucky enough to visit England and see flocks of goldfinches at Wells-next-the-Sea
and North Walsham. It was very marshy there. In January here in North Florida we have flocks of twenty and thirty goldfinches at our feeder. They are so aggressive and messy birds. By late April I am happy to see them go.

Sparroweye

[gordon g]

It's great to get new birds in. Since we moved to our current house 2 yrs ago, the species count has steadily increased. Initially we saw only house sparrows and coal tits, but over the first winter with regular feeding, the count grew. We now have house sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds, song thrushes, collared doves, woodpigeons, starlings, coal tits, willow tits, blue tits, great tits, goldfinch most of the year, greenfinch, chaffinch, robin, and wren all in the garden regularly. Plenty of rooks, carrion crows and jackdaws fly over and occasionally stop by, also kestrels, a pair of sparrowhawks regularly earlier this year (the male returned today after a longish abscence), recently a pair of nuthatches, greater spotted woodpecker and its young in the summer this year, occasional long-tailed tit flocks, fly-by herons, herring gulls, black-headed gulls, canada geese, and single visits by a cock pheasant and a moorhen!
My main prblem now is keeping the feedrs full!

[ROBCALLY]

Yes it's great to get new birds visiting my garden and like you say its a problem keeping the feeders full and now I buy the wild bird seed in 25 kilo (56lbs) bags and fat balls in buckets of 48 and loads of other treats but how those sparrows can eat, but great to watch their antics.
Robcally

[david2004]

Loads of birds around here too. I get through more than 25kg of high energy seed mix a month!

[sparroweye]

I buy 25lb bag of black oil sunflower seed, and this winter when the goldfinch
arrive, I think I will get a thistle seed feeder. I also hang Woodpecker bars made by Morning Song co. They are great for south florida as they do not melt and
not only the woodpeckers love them but all the birds like them. They are made of pecans, almonds, peanuts raisins, sunflower seed and cracked corn. Of course
I ended up having to put a baffle above them to keep the squirrels away. I am still waiting for my Fall birds to arrive. Last January we saw quite a few cedar waxwings on my mulberry trees. It was a bumper winter for migratory birds.

[petecockney]

Hi
If you have had a sighting of a goldfinch, you must be very pleased.
My point in writing is that if you put out some Niger seed and any goldfinch are in the area, you will have a dozen within a few days. They will regularly visit you if you give them the Niger.
Hope this helps.
Let me know
Cheers
Pete