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habitat and thistle feeders for Goldfinches
Although American Goldfinches are a rather common songbird, it’s a favorite of many backyard birders. With a nickname of “yellow canary” the summer plumage of male Goldfinches is almost electric! Keeping thistle feeders out year-round will almost ensure that vibrant yellow color will grace your yard in warmer months.Habitat plays an important role in attracting any wildlife, and sometimes doing less work is better than doing more. Dandelions happen to be a favorite of goldfinches’, as are spent marigolds, cosmos, zinnias and coneflowers. Don’t dead-head these flowers, better off to leave them as treats for birds to feast.
Water is another key element in attracting finches or any wildlife for that matter. Fresh water in a birdbath will always provide an excellent resource for my species of birds. Keep a fresh water source near thistle feeders to further entice Goldfinches to your place.
Because their nesting and breeding starts so late in the season, you can expect a great increase of activity at thistle feeders in July and August. Parents feed chicks thistle exclusively, so feeders can get rather crowded. And because of their sweet nature, a Goldfinch is more likely to fly away from a crowded thistle feeder than to fight for a perch. If you’d like to attract these super-sweet songbirds, you may want to consider adding an extra thistle feeder in your yard this season.
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Really Big nyjer feeder
If wild bird activity in your yard is anything like ours right now, then you likely have tons of Goldfinches. Although they’re not so gold right now with their winter plumage…they’re still out there!Filling the nyjer feeder for them every few days can really start to become a chore. Some feeders claim to be large capacity feeders – but really aren’t. This one is definitely a large capacity feeder, holding seven pounds of nyjer seed (more commonly called thistle).
Now seven pounds may not sound like much when thinking of volume, but thistle is a tiny grain-like seed, and seven pounds in a feeder is a lot.
Pine Siskins and Red Polls also visit nyjer feeders, and our Goldfinches are even eating suet in this frigid weather.
Help birds thrive during cold weather by offering a few staples that will serve them well in winter. Thistle, suet and sunflower seed are a few good options.
Water is also extremely important, especially when birds’ usual sources (like shallow ponds) tend to freeze. A heater in your birdbath will also be a welcome sign to entice many feathered friends. Happy Birding! -
thistle feeders in festive holiday designs
So the mad holiday rush is on! I refer to this time frame as the “holidaze”, because folks seem to run around and rush in a dazed matter with concern about everyone on their gift list. It seems as though most are wearing blinders, and regardless of anything, just go!The big-ticket items are usually pretty simple, cut and dry so to speak. It’s usually just a matter of price comparison.
The smaller, incidental gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, and the like, can be tricky sometimes… especially if you’re stumped for an idea of what they might not only like – but really use and even enjoy. Imagine that?
Holiday Thistle Feeders are the perfect gift for any nature-lover or birding enthusiast. Bet you never even thought of anything like a gift of nature? It’s the perfect choice because it actually gets used, is a long-lasting gift, and is enjoyed by both the recipient and the birds.
Feeding thistle seed year-round will have Goldfinches’ electric yellow plumage gracing the yard in spring and summer months. Sweet calls and dispositions make these birds a welcome visitor to any yard, Also known as nyjer, this tiny, black, grain-like seed is a non-germinating one, so there’s never any weeds sprouting up below a thistle feeder.
Simplify your holiday list with wonderful gifts of nature. Thistle feeders are an awesome gift idea and range from inexpensive stockings like this one, to large capacity tube-type feeders.
Happy Birding and Happy Holidays!
Birding Tips, Information & News
