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GB birders, some observations and questions.

dreher
I have a thistle seed feeder, the kind with the little tiny holes for the birds to eat from.  The feeder has 20 perches that are often full of Goldfinches with more Goldfinches perched on our clothes line waiting their turn at the thistle seed feeder.  I often see over 50 Goldfinches around our feeders at the same time.  Since I love Goldfinches I love my thistle seed feeder!!  The thistle seed bag says that finches, chickadees, tufted tit mice and nuthatches also love thistle seed.  What I can't figure out is why I never see any bird except the Goldfinches feeding at the thistle seed feeder.  As in never see any other bird not just rarely or occasionally, never.  My other feeders are covered up with the birds that are supposed like thistle seed.  If the Goldfinches are not using the feeder the other birds still don't use the thistle seed feeder.   So if you have a thistle seed feeder do other birds use it or am I the only one to only have nothing but Goldfinches using my thistle seed feeders?? 

Also, you know that wing fluttering thing young birds do to get mom/dad to feed them??   I still have Goldfinches still doing that wing thing to get mom/dad to feed them.  I don't ever remember seeing the young birds doing that this far into the next year.  Usually not past Dec.  So have the Goldfinches started raising kids that think like millennials??   :p    So have you noticed this behavior at your feeders??
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6 comments

Date Votes
  • hillbille
     picked up a bag of cardinal food, thought the same thing as you all that are on feeder now are cardinals and occasional finch,  doves pick the ground clean but won't eat out of the feeder.....???  never figured they had a recipe specific to one bird, at times have had better dozen cardinal on feeder or waiting
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  • asop
    I only feed "good sunflower seed" in the winter months here in Wisc. Late last fall wife and I came home late and for some reason I decided to turn on the outside lights by the feeder.  A flying squirrel was feeding at the feeder!  Never saw one before.  Not much bigger than a chipmonk .
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  • dunbarboyz
    My wife has thistle feeders and every other seed a bird could eat. She tells me goldfinches,purple finches,pine siskins and red polls eat thistle seed here.
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  • hillbille
    asop said:
    I only feed "good sunflower seed" in the winter months here in Wisc. Late last fall wife and I came home late and for some reason I decided to turn on the outside lights by the feeder.  A flying squirrel was feeding at the feeder!  Never saw one before.  Not much bigger than a chipmonk .
    we had them living in the attic at the hunting cabin, came face to face with one, one night on my way down the steps to the bathroom, all bugeyed and little ears their face reminds you of an alien..........
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  • toad67
    It seems that all of a sudden, with the warmer weather, the birds aren't hitting the feeders like they did a week ago. Seems like they are going after the bugs and other critters that come with the warming weather.
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  • He Dog
    The "thistle" is actually rape seed, you really do not want thistle sprouting all over your yard.  Thistle feeders for gold finches are often built to exclude other birds.  House finches frequently fed at one we had, but the current one has the holes below the perches so only birds that feed upside down can use it.  Some make the holes too small for the beaks of most birds.
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