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Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: Fleur on January 27, 2006, 10:44:07
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Been trying to attract these beautiful birds scince we moved here five years ago and I saw one in the garden. They ignored niger seed and the seed heads of lavender and verbena I left uncut. I went away on holiday for a month and left the birdfeeders with my neighbour and filled them with sunflower chips instead of sunflower hearts and now have a flock of about ten constantly at the feeders and devouring seed heads, such a wonderful sight it really cheered me up!
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You are lucky. I have recently put out niger seed but still no Goldfinches. There was a wonderful photo on here a while back of someone with a huge number. I will get some sunflower chips and try those. Thanks.
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There was a wonderful photo on here a while back of someone with a huge number.
That was my photo Tulippa, posted 30th December.
I had 23 at one time yesterday. Some were on the niger feeders, a couple on the tray that has mixed sunflower seeds and the rest were on the grass at the bottom picking up dropped seeds. It seems that for every niger seed that a finch pulls out of the feeder a dozen or so fall to the ground. I have just refilled the feeders so if they all come back today I will try to get some more pics.
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Good luck tullipa, hope you get them. It only takes one to find what you have put out for them, then they spread the word around.
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Fleur and Pauline. I am so jealous!!!! I am going away to sulk ;D Will just have to keep trying.
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Lorna, have you got a niger feeder now? It probably took about a week for them to find mine initially.
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i'm jealous too(http://bestsmileys.com/sad/6.gif)
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Pauline No I haven't got a niger feeder yet. After I got the normal feeders somebody did mention niger feeders so that has got to be next on list (I didn't even know there is such a thing as niger seed!!) I have got a lot to learn. ;D
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23 :o ... now that is just plain greedy .. ;D so so lucky, what a sight! ;D
what is their preferred habitat?
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I have goldfinches regular, but 23..... heck, thats a lot. Quite a charm of them eh?
:D :D :D :D :D
p.s. I have had 27 Red Legged partridges tho......
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23 :o ... now that is just plain greedy .. ;D so so lucky, what a sight! ;D
what is their preferred habitat?
This web page says a bit more about them, including their habitat.
http://noahsarkgardens.co.uk/Wildlife/Birds/Goldfinch.htm
When my husband took our dog for a walk the other day, he went a different route for a change and came across what he described as "hundreds of goldfinches" on a big pile of
sunflower seeds that were near a farm.
I am going to do the Bird Watch today and hope they are still around when I run the form off.
28 goldfinches today. See thread about Bird Watch.
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Pauline. OK I have been out this morning (flipping freezing and a HEAVY frost) and bought a niger feeder and niger seed. So will stand at kitchen window and wait ;D
I have now got mixed wild bird seed. black sunflower seed. fatballs. peanuts and now niger. I mean if that doesn't say WELCOME what does?
Will be lovely if the (any!!) finches decide to visit my garden during the next few weeks. I hope the starlings who are always squabbling don't turn any away.
Thanks for putting that link up....noahsarkgardens. found interesting information on there... Lorna.
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Well done Lorna, it may take a week or two but I am sure you will be rewarded. Don't stand too near the window though because they are a bit timid and won't come down if they can see you. I know what will happen, I bet they come before you are up in the morning and the only evidence will be the seed disappearing! lol ;D ;D
I hope you get some soon Lorna.
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I put niger seed out last summer, no joy. I know they aren't far away, I see them at work 5 mins away, so why are they boycotting my garden? :(
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How much cover (bushes etc.) is there round your garden? Things like that can be critical.
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They can be unpredictable. I had a small flock of a dozen or more calling every day a couple of years ago. Have changed nothing, but the goldfinches have vanished - greenfinches are feasting on the niger seed instead.....
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Rosa I don't mind which sort of finches I get on my niger feeder as long as I get finches ;D I will be very patient.
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Try growing teasels, they love the seeds from them.
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Robert, two sides of my (small) garden have buddlea, spirea, cotoneaster and a couple of conifers. I have a wildish area behind the pond which I leave more or less alone as we have a lot of frogs. We do have a cat but I put the feeders on tall poles so he cant get at them, but I wasn't sure if they should be out in the open to make birds feel safer, or near a bush / tree for cover? Fleur, thankyou, shall try teazels. Lorna, me too, I still live in hope ;D Thanks all of you for your help.
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I had 4 goldfinches today, first of the winter season, they were feeding on the lavender seed heads
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Have to send you one of my greenfinches, Lorna - I have quite a few
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c153/Isylta/Finch.jpg)
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Rosa. Thank you!! I wonder if I cut him/her out and put the cut out on my niger feed it might encourage others?? ;D Is that the weather where you are????
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I have goldfinches the way that some gardens have sparrows, lots & lots, back & front gardens. They totally ignore me when I walk past their nijer feeders (they also use the ordinary seed feeders) BUT- they often disappear for weeks at a time, only to re-appear just as suddenly!
At the moment I have about six. I did read that nijer seed lost its attraction after a couple of weeks outside, and that even the stuff stored inside in sacks lost its potency after a while. I get through about three pints a week in summer.
Incidentally, don't be tempted to buy the latest big feeder for nijer seed from CJ Wildbirdfood. It is a design disaster. Instead of the small holes for the seed, this one has slightly modified standard seedfeeder ports. They are so big that everything - including rooks & pigeons are able to take the seed, and the waste through spillage in the wind is terrible.
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Thanks for the info. Sven. on the nijer feeder. Mine is a bit worse for wear now so I am thinking of buying another at the next Table Seed order.
I have a 'sick' goldfinch today. It is all puffed up and looks ill. Now and then I get a greenfinch like this and death is inevitable. Shame. We have got to be so careful now handling 'sick' or 'dead' wildbirds now. The finches are prone to salmonella so maybe this is what is wrong with the goldfinch.
:-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
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.....I did read that nijer seed lost its attraction after a couple of weeks outside,
I have one very large niger feeder and one of medium size and have to fill them every other day so there is no way it would stay out for a couple of weeks! ;D I have run out of seed now and there are about 2 inches remaining in the feeders so there is an all out battle to get to the seeds that are left. It always amazes me that goldfinches go around in groups (or charms) yet they fight with each other all the time.
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Funnily enough, I had CJ Wildbirdfood catalogue through the post this morning - and there is no mention of the Conqueror-based nijer feeder. Perhaps they have now seen sense.
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Rosa. Thank you!! I wonder if I cut him/her out and put the cut out on my niger feed it might encourage others?? ;D Is that the weather where you are????
Fortunately not, Lorna - the picture was taken a couple of weeks ago. More of a freezing fog today ;D (need a shivering icon!)
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Hi Rosa. Had to look up which day you posted "freezing fog". On Thursday when my company was here I felt a bit achy. At 10pm I felt like nothing on earth, went to bed and didn't get up until Sunday (other than visits to bathroom).I didn't realise how many joints there are to ache. Have now got some catching up on A4A .
Was glad to be able to watch the birds today.
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Sorry you are poorly Lorna.
Have you got any finches yet? If not then perhaps the niger feeder is too near your house. I had to put mine further away to begin with and then brought them nearer once they had found it. Goldfinches in particular can be very timid. I think my lot live on their nerves for I have only to walk within 4 feet of the patio door to sit in my chair and they all fly off.
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Hi Pauline. No luck yet, still getting plenty of sparrows also seen the blackbirds. Funnily enough the starlings were not around today. I counted 20 sparrows at one time. The feeders are about 18ft away from the bungalow. I could move them back a bit further, I will try that tomorrow.
Best wishes Lorna.
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Sorry you haven't seen any finches yet. :'(
Anything is worth a try Lorna; the main things being that they can see the seeds when they are flying by and that they have cover to fly to (preferably a tree or shrub about 20 feet from the ground). Mine sit perched on a tall elderberry, that grows amidst the conifers, prior to coming down to the feeders. I was tempted in the past to cut the elder down as it looks a bit scruffy but am pleased I didn't now.
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Poor you, Lorna - OH has had the same filthy bug, and is only just coming out of it.
Finches - mine queue in a laurel hedge about 8' away from the table; it's about 12-15' high, and often has nests. Also provides a valuable refuge from the sparrowhawk.
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Pauline & Rosa. Six feet away from the feeders I have got a hedge of conifers. They are about 8/9ft high (blackbirds nest in them) and there are a couple of high trees in Lorna's garden which the birds fly to if they are disturbed when they are on the feeders. Seems I am doing things right and will be patient until finches decide to visit. In the meantime I enjoy watching the other birds. Thanks for all the encouragement and help. Lorna.
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Rosa, you have clarified for me that I have Greenfinches in my garden. Some of the illustrations in books and online are so gaudy, but your photo and then this link have sorted it for me. Thank you. We have about six visit regularly and are very entertaining.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/259.shtml
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Hi
I put my niger seed in a normal seed feeder, where can i get a proper niger seed feeder from?
My seed goes down really quick, i thought it was the Goldfinches gorging themselves on it, they'll sit there for 30minute feeding 'fest' at a time, I often wonder how they have the strength to fly off after they have finished, they must double their body weight ;D But now i am thinking that maybe i have the wrong feeder.
Pakaba
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I bought one of mine from the RSPB and another from a pet shop.
The RSPB are revamping their online shop at the moment but will be open on Monday according to their web page. http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/ The profits go to protecting birds, which is another bonus.
Other sites that sell them are:
http://birds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/list/feeders-tables?er=googleuk;term=bird+feeders
http://www.gardenbird.com/index.htm
http://www.thebirdtable.co.uk/shop/nick/afbirdfeeders.htm
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Thanks :) thats great i'll check them out. ;D
Pakaba
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Think you just need to wait, Lorna - you seem to be doing everything you can - you just need to be spotted!
Tulippa - the males do brighten up a lot at breeding time, but otherwise they're surprisingly somber. Pugnacious little chaps, aren't they? ;D
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Lorna, keep waiting - I spotted my first two goldfinches yesterday, couldn't believe my eyes! They ate the sunflower hearts rather than the nyjer seed but it was lovely to see them. OH got a bit cross that I was so distracted by them but never mind. I hope they keep coming.
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tullipa. Yes I am still waiting!! Raining today so don't suppose I will see much. Funnily enough my niger seed is definitely dissapearing. I haven't seen any birds on the niger feeder except couple of days ago there was a sparrow having a feed on it.. .
Maybe I should dispose of the seed that is in there and put some fresh seed out..I will SHOUT when I see my first finch!!
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Lorna, I don't think sparrows can get their beaks into the niger feeder holes. I certainly haven't seen them eating from my seed feeders. If the "sparrow" was definitely on the feeder and taking the seeds out then I think you have your first finch.
The female chaffinch is very much like a sparrow to look at and so too is the female greenfinch.
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Pauline7 OOER!! Now you are making me excited. I will keep a close eye on the feeder. The seed is definitely about 2ins down from full.. I am now keeping my binoculars at the ready. Hope to have news soon. So maybe my patience is paying dividends!!.
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Watched one yesterday swinging on 'Golden Rod' stems eating the seeds.
Beautiful birds!
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Not to show off or anything but....
...I had 5 of them yesterday morning for over 3 hours constantly feeding on the niger seed 8). I do wonder how they can fly after gorging themselves for so long ;D. There were 4 on the feeder and one waiting, when the one waiting got fed up it fluttered around one of the other birds and they gave up their spot!!! They're very good at sharing ;D
One word of hope I will give though is I always have niger seed out and i have NEVER seen any other bird on it except either Goldfinches or very occaisionly a Greenfinch. I have sunflower hearts out as well and mixed bird feed, and fat balls,and the tits, sparrows, robin etc are more intersted in that than the niger seed.. So if your niger seed is going down then i'd say you've definately got some sort of finch. ;D Just keep watching.
pakaba
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At any one time I have seen 4 siskins on mine Pakaba but they are greatly outnumbered by the goldfinches.
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Hi
I've never had a Siskin.....i will go and look in my bird book to see what they look like and keep a look out.
BTW i went to get some more bird seed today and they had niger feeders in stock so I got one (Ceramic..£8 :o) so i hope they apreciate it. Even at the cost I thought it would still be cheaper once you add P&P.
I am going to put it nearer the house to try to get a good photo.
Pakaba
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Siskins are the same colouring as greenfinches but skinny!!!! they are very acrobatic birds and tend to feed upside down.
;) ;)
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I am still watching and waiting ;D This morning there were so many starlings the other birds didn't seem to get a look in but I just got back from picking Grandson up from school and there is one lovely solitary Mr Blackbird. Guess the starling are full up :)
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I have feeders containing peanuts, sunflower seed, sunflower hearts, Niger seed plus homemade fat cakes.
In the early part of the year blue tits, coal tits and great tits were most frequent visitors together with two nuthatches and one great spotted woodpecker. The coal tits took whole peanuts and hid them in moss on the shed roof.
Then eight long tailed tits appeared and stayed for a few weeks.
Initially one goldfinch arrived and now about 5 feed regularly every day. They prefer the sunflower hearts.
I was pleased to get one siskin but at times now there can be as many as 25 fighting over all the food (especially sunflower hearts). They are very messy feeders scattering food about onto the ground for everything else to pick up such as sparrows, blackbirds, chaffinches, green finches. The siskins appear to have frightened the nuthatches and they no longer appear.
Other regular visitors are - pied wagtail, wood pigeon, jackdaws, jays, magpies, wren, dunnocks, robin, collared doves, starlings, song thrush.
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SO JEALOUS, I AM NOT GOING TO READ THIS THREAD ANYMORE ONLY JOKING ;D
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hi
I put my new niger seed feeder out on sunday afternoon, and the greedy little things have emptied it already :o PLUS half of the original one I used :o.
I'm going to have to go out tommorrow and get some more seed, i only bought some last week, no chance of it going off here :)
pakaba
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OK Yes I am still reading this thread ;D 2 more questions. Do you put apples out whole (looks like the one in Eric's pic was put out whole) I have been cutting them up quite small and put on the small lawn. Secondly today I bought sunflower hearts to add to my seed selection, do I mix the hearts with the normal seed in the feeders or is it best to keep them sparate? Thanks as usual. Lorna.
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When I have a spare apple I usually chop it into pieces, although blackbirds in particular are quite happy to peck at whole apples.
I have a feeder with sunflower hearts in only. They disappear very quicly and are a favourite with Siskins and Goldfinches in particular but members of the tit family and the nuthatches are just as fond of them. The ones I scatter on the lawn are eaten by many birds.
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Thanks Toadspawn. Will put some hearts out tomorrow in separate feeder. By the looks of the temperature tonight the birds will all be ready for a good feed in the morning
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Lorna, I have been avoiding reading this thread as I now have some Goldfinches coming to feed and felt guilty about it!
I put out the nyjer seed as suggested but they are not eating that, it is the sunflower hearts they go for here.
As Toadspawn says, just put them on their own in a seed feeder. They are a maximum energy source for the birds so really are good for them and they all go for them. Even the robins eat them. The greenfinches fight over them and get quite stroppy if one stays on the perch too long, it is so entertaining. I have kept thinking of you and wondering if you have them too. I strongly recommend the sunflower hearts and have three feeders full of them which are topped up every other day they eat so many!
I really hope you get some finches soon.
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Have today put up feeder with just sunflower hearts in it.. I am going to buy a couple more feeders, I have got 4 feeders at present but I thought as I get so many starlings the more feeders I have will give the other birds a better chance..(Or maybe I will just land up with all the neighbourhood starlings ::) ;D)
Whatever happens I am enjoying the watching and waiting.
Lorna