Any point putting out niger seed? (3 Viewers)

[Ernest Garcia]

My niger feeder was only visited by occasional Goldfinches this winter but for the past three weeks it has attracted a succession of Lesser Redpolls, Siskins and a few Goldfinches every day. Up to ten birds are present at a time. The location is Surrey, England.

 

[EvShaz]

On our hanging feeders we only really get sparrows and starlings, recently a couple of blue tits and long tail tits have turned up but who knows if they'll stay. Do you think there'd be any point in trying niger seed in one? We don't ever see the goldfinches or other finches that are always mentioned as the reason of putting them out.

We did try a sample feeder a few years ago and it wasn't touched, but it wasn't really out for very long before it got wet, so I don't know if it'd be a waste of money trying it again for longer with a better feeder, hoping for a different result.

You can try good quality sunflower seeds. Once the Goldfinches appear then try the niger seeds. It's never too late to put out seeds they will eventually arrive.

 

[andy29]

You can try good quality sunflower seeds. Once the Goldfinches appear then try the niger seeds. It's never too late to put out seeds they will eventually arrive.

I've put some sunflower seeds out since you said that but I'm still waiting for anything to show some interest. The starlings haven't even thrown them out! I'm suppose they will soon. The miseable weather hasn't helped

 

[EK_Birds]

I've never had any success with niger seed. Goldfinches have always gone for the sunflower hearts, niger always got thrown away untouched after a while.

Sooooo, I purchased a small pre filled yellow niger seed feeder today. I expect it to remain untouched but holding out a very slim hope that the goldfinches will use it and maybe even bring a siskin or two along with them 😂

 

[paddyluke]

i'm going through nearly a kilo of niger seed a week, i have up to 10 gold finches at a time

 

[EK_Birds]

2 goldfinches ate a few seeds from the niger feeder before swapping back to sunflower hearts. Tenner well spent 😂

 

[She’ll not av feathers on]

The perfect thread has fallen in my lap😍

I live in one of the thousands of soulless, new build concrete jungles that every person you speak to across the country absolutely detests! Myself included. The closest bushes and trees are on the edge of the estate which were already there before it was tarmacced and its wildlife friendly habitat destroyed.

So I couldn’t believe what I was seeing other day when I was walking back from the Aldi and a dozen or more goldfiches were flitting over the drainage ditch at the bottom of the road!!

In urban Derby it’s like having Golden eagles soaring about!

I’ve already got sunflower hearts out on a dish and will give niger seeds from a feeder a try! I might even try a sort of Hansel and Gretel type tactic of chucking some seed on the ground from the bushes near the drainage ditch leading back to my house!