Attract Goldfinches – Page 2 – Unique Birdhouse Boutique

With tons of Goldfinches out and about now, thistle feeders are likely to be a very busy spot in your yard. Because Goldfinches are one of the latest breeding/nesting birds, many juveniles are now crowding thistle feeders and learning to eat on their own. One of the favorite songbirds who will winter-over if thistle (or nyjer) is offered on a consistent basis, Goldfinches will grace your garden all year. A heated birdbath is also another major attraction for these sweet birds to stick around.

With one of their two upcoming seasonal molts, vibrant yellow plumage will soon give way to a more olive-drab one. But as spring once again approaches, the electric yellow feathers will be seen through late summer and early fall.

The use of Thistle Socks or Thistle bags will help to alleviate crowds at your regular thistle feeders, and ensure that all babies get to eat. Fairly inexpensive and available from small to large, these mesh stockings provide an “all-over” eating area for finches and other birds who prefer thistle seed.

Cardinals are also molting right now, and although they might look a bit sickly…rest assured it’s just the process of shedding old worn feathers for vibrant new ones.

Goldfinches, Indigo Buntings, Purple Finches and others are a welcome addition to any yard or garden — these colorful birds will flock to a finch bird feeder if you are lucky, and chow down on thistle for long periods of time. Pecking one tiny seed at a time makes it easy to observe them.

This food has added benefits; squirrels ignore it, and it is not germinating which means that spilled food won’t turn into weeds. But what if you’re not lucky enough to have enough finches to eat all of the food on a regular basis? The thistle, or nyjer seed can clump when it gets damp, and the attraction for our feathered friends will quickly fade.

Here’s a trick to keep thistle bird feeders fresher longer: Place a few inexpensive ping pong balls inside your feeder. The thistle seed is very fine, so it flows around the ping pong balls and is available to the birds. The balls will take up space in the feeder, reducing the amount of food it holds, while allowing an even distribution for more feeding space. The result: less food in the feeder means less clumping and fresher food. You can add or remove balls until you get the right balance of food and space for your feeder and your habitat.

Crowded Thistle Feeders?

Keep Your Finch Bird Feeder Fresher