- Bird Accessories, Bird Feeders, Finch Feeders, Nyjer Feeders, Thistle Feeders, Tube Bird Feeder, Uncategorized, Wild Bird Feeders
Busy Busy Thistle Feeders
With their nesting season winding down, Goldfinches abound! Their electric yellow plumage is hard to miss. Adults feed babies thistle, or nyjer seed exclusively, so large capacity or extra thistle feeders are very helpful this time of year. Even those convenient thistle socks or bags, are an excellent way to accommodate all the newcomers.Because of their sweet nature, Goldfinches will usually just give up and fly off rather than fight at crowded thistle feeders. A fresh water source such as a bird bath is also very enticing to all songbirds, and with moving water like the dripper shown here, birds will be flocking to your yard!
Remember to keep thistle feeders out year round to enjoy these vibrant summer colors. Goldfinches’ plumage will start to fade in the fall when they molt, but the same cheery birds will hang around your yard if offered thistle seed on a consistent basis.
Happy Birding!
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Only the Nyjer Bird Feeder is Safe from These Starlings
The backyard and wonderful wildlife habitat is under attack from the worst spell of starlings right now. They eat EVERYTHING in site and bully the songbirds. The mess they leave is not nice either. Starlings are non-native birds, I wish they’d go back from where they came!It is the thistle feeder and hummingbird feeders that are safe, that’s it. Of about 15 assorted feeders, the nyjer bird feeder is the only seed feeder they’ll leave alone. Three hummingbird feeders are starling-free as well. They just about empty the birdbaths everyday too with their splashing around. I even witnessed one trying to stuff himself inside the bluebird feeder, reaching for worms and grabbing a few with his body half in and half out of the feeder!
Thistle or nyjer seed is wonderful with its many benefits. Squirrels don’t like it either, and tend to leave feeders alone. This seed is non-germinating and won’t cause weeds to pop up below the feeder.
And I’m not just ranting because of them in my yard, these birds wreak havoc with air traffic control towers and the airline industry, causing thousands of dollars (if not more) in damages every year. They’re even responsible for a few plane crashes.
Non-native birds go home!
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Thistle Socks Make Great Nyjer Feeders
Because American Goldfinches have such a sweet disposition, they’d rather just give up and fly away than compete at nyjer feeders. With their breeding season just about to start, you can bet feeders will be crowded soon. Fledglings pretty much eat nyjer exclusively, so parents will be chowing down!Adding a few thistle socks will help keep up with demand at this busy time of year. These nyjer feeders are inexpensive and very convenient when compared to most feeders, and some improvements have even been made to this old favorite.
The black thistle sock shown here has a stronger mesh which gives the feeder longer life. The draw cord at top keeps seed and feeder more secure. The cool thing is the black color because Goldfinches vibrant lemon yellow plumage gives a great contrast against the black sock. They really do to show up better – for a better bird watching experience. The thistle socks are available in several weight capacities, they really do make for great nyjer feeders!
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