Niger on the table (1 Viewer)

It's very rare I get any finches in the garden for some reason. I did have a regular bullfinch but since he went, I've not seen any finch for quite a while. I know they're around as I see them flitting about the bushes and hedges in the area behind the house... chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch.

So I bought some niger seed to see if I could get a finch or 2 to come and say hello. I filled up my feeder and... zip... nothing. After a week I emptied the niger seed onto the table and put sunflowers back in the feeder for my regulars and today... loads of greenfinches on the table eating the niger seed and hanging off the peanut feeder... accidental success!

But can anyone hazzard a guess why the seed was ignored in the feeder yet wolfed down when dumped loose on the table? (NB the feeder hangs just below the table so I can't see it being position)

When I fill the feeder it is successful - gold finches (though only two) and the blue tits and green finches have a go. But after a couple of days - nothing. The BT and GreenF ignore it and the GoldF seem to disappear. It is as if as soon as it becomes weathered in any way they won't touch it. I replace with fresh and the same thing happens. When (and if) the siskin returns perhaps the turnover will be more successful but at the moment it is an expensive waste.

Margaret