Topic: Will Niger seed attract?

[CotswoldLass]

I wonder? We have a host of bird visitors to our variety of feeders - seed, peanut and fatballs predominantly, so I decided to try some Niger seed to see if any new visitors....can't see any to date, and it's been nearly a week.
What do you think?

CLx

[Flighty]

Cotswoldlass have a read of this!

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/british-birds/6933-birds-wont-touch-niger-seed-2.html

[Hector]

We get Linnet and Goldfinch on our Niger feeder :)

[saddad]

It has taken them about 5 weeks to find ours...  but we now have a Bullfinch as well...  :)

[Bugloss2009]

it took 2 years for the goldfinches to find our niger seed feeders  :D

we first had a pair with their young last summer, and now we have a dozen or more every day, all the time  8)

i think Niger Seed Plc started a secret breeding programme

We also had lots of redpolls until recently

[Toadspawn]

I have feeders with Niger seed, black sunflower seed, sunflower hearts (2), peanuts, mixed seed (without wheat) and fat balls. Food is also scattered on the lawn for any ground feeding birds.

By far the most popular with the birds, especially Goldfinches and Siskins, are the feeders containing sunflower hearts. With 12 feeding positions there is always a queue of Goldfinches and Siskins wanting to feed and there have been as many as 30-40 of each feeding on the ground aswell. Members of the Tit family eat the peanuts, black sunflowers and sunflower hearts. However, the Niger seed is only eaten occasionally by Siskins and Goldfinches and when they decide to visit Redpolls. If Niger seed was not available the only birds that would be affected would be the Redpolls.

[jjt]

It depends where you are in the country but here in Devon we get a lot of goldfinches on the niger seed. Also quite a few siskins. They are nice to watch, very brave and stand their ground against much bigger birds. I agree about the sunflower hearts, but putting niger seed out did certainly seem to mean more siskins turning up. I'm sure they used to say that peanuts in those red mesh bags attracted siskins. Must be that fashions change in birdworld as well. Dietary fads etc.

[Ninnyscrops.]

Niger encourages goldfinches, greenfinches and siskins on the feeders, chaffinches and bullfinches on the ground. Aren't goldfinches lovely birds to watch feeding, the world just passes them by :)

Ninny

[CotswoldLass]

Hehey! At last! Goldfinch has found the Niger seed!!!
I noticed the level had gone down a bit so have been keeping an eye out then sure enough there he was this morning. Am ridiculously thrilled to have a new addition to our wonderful array of garden birds.
Thanks for all the words of wisdom guys - here's to Goldfinches
 ;)

[Flighty]

Cotswoldlass lucky you, I would be thrilled as well!  :)

[CotswoldLass]

Thank you Flighty!
Have just been watching two Goldfinches, one on each side of the Niger feeder - am entranced!

[angle shades]

 :) it's very addictive isn't it?, our first Goldfinches arrived last August on the sunflower hearts feeder, they have been with us ever since .. I now mix niger and sunflower hearts together in two feeders and every day we get between 2 and 7 Goldfinches at a time.. to me its a breath taking sight.. could watch them all day / shades x

[lorna]

When pauline7 told me how to encourage goldfinches it took a little while but I now have daily visits of several goldfinches. I am now persevering with the meal worm mixture on the bird table to encourage the elusive robins. I did see one about a week ago. The mixture has always been taken but I have only seen blackbirds and collared doves on the table. Still hoping ;D

[CotswoldLass]

Hi Lorna (and all...but lovely to say hi to Lorna after my absence)
We're lucky to have plenty of Robins visiting - yes, even several on same patch over worst of the winter weather - but have noticed they like fatballs on a level they can get to and the normal wild bird seed. However, what I noticed MOST is that when ever I go out with a fork or trowel, there appears a Robin, so most of my weeding is directed to Robin feeding not the task in hand!

CLx

[Spookyville]

regaular goldfinch visitors to ours. took a while for them to find it though.

[honeybee]

I only have a small garden but have counted something like 25 various visitors to my garden from sparrow hawk to heron.

However all variety of finches are in abundance and visit all day long from morning to night.

I noticed the Goldfinch years back, just one or two which have now increased to large families, this inspired me to introduce sunflower seed approx six or seven years ago and then onto Niger seed.

The finch family then increased from Gold finch to Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch ( a shy bird but this year I have seen up to 10 at a time which has enthralled me)

Of course the abundance of finches in turn invites the Sparrow Hawk, which is such a thrill to see in my garden/ but I am quite aware of the reason for his visits but my finches are wise to his visits too!

Keep the supply of seed going and you will never know what you may observe CL :)

We always have telescope and binouclars at the ready and are alway peering through!

Some pics

Goldfinch
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Goldfinch and Green finch
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Bullfinch
[/img]

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Black cap

[honeybee]

Not sure that they posted , so heres a link

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,40204.msg400895.html#msg400895

[CotswoldLass]

Wonderful pictures Honeybee! Really lovely.
Am very excited as we now have Siskins visiting the Niger feeder!

CLx

[CotswoldLass]

Greenfinch is visiting now! So exciting to see these new visitors!

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

I'm in Enfield, N. London and have been feeding the birds regularly for around 18 months.  Took most a year to find the feeders, I think because both neighbours feed the birds also.  Anyway, now regularly have collared doves, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and carrion crows (huge nest in next door's pine tree).  Hoping to get more tits in (only ever seen a few) and would LOVE some finches to show up.  I've just bought a niger seed feeder and will get onto a new sunflower seed feeder now.  i'd appreciate any tips going.

Simon