In reply to John D:
I found that using a clingers-only feeder was the answer. All the tits, sparrows and goldfinches used it; chaffinches learned to use it and the discards were welcomed by other ground feeders. Although there was little waste, I still moved it every two weeks to prevent a build up of the skins (not husks) and droppings. I also put grit and grit sand on the beds on the beds to cover these areas and dug it in to improve fertility and drainage when the ground got warmer.
In reply to Grandmamac:
Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated.
I've just bought a Finch Flocker which they Goldfinches think is a great place to wait around until there is a spare hoop on my sunflower hearts feeder!
I can't believe that I'm complaining about Goldies. I wish they were more like the Blue tits, great tits and chaffinches as they've very tidy.
I find the most wasted food is Nijer seed. Beneath my feeders are carpets of black wasted seeds. At least with the sunflower waste other ground feeders will 'hoover' them up but Niger just goes to waste :( Does anyone know what the answer is?
In reply to DianeD-772562102:
I have 15 Goldfinches and they make a huge mess!
It's partly the mild winters. In proper winters the seed doesn't rot and moulder so fast. In dry weather other things eat the fallen seed. But the last few years it just piles up in revolting soggy lumps. I've put a couple of big buckets underneath to make clearing it away easier, while the last load is currently rotting near the compost heap.
I suppose digging it in to the soil over time is the best bet for the fallen seed. But how to stop so much being wasted? I've read the comments above about attaching trays to the underside, and how these are used by other birds to the exclusion of the finches. But I presume these trays were fixed directly to the base of the feeders. What if they were suspended about 6 to 8 inches beneath the feeders? They should still catch a lot of seed, but any pigeon or dove landing on them probably wouldn't be able to access the feeder, itself, hopefully leaving the feeder available for the small birds.
Any thoughts?
In reply to Karenlmurray:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Welcome to the Forum, Karen, from the Surrey/Hampshire border (in the balmy south; it is 2C here at the moment!). Catlady is correct, always lovely to have more people to share their love of birds and other wildlife, although some of us, no names mentioned, do get a bit silly at times, so please join in. Well, the current situation means we need to either laugh or cry, and some have done a bit of both. I will need to dream up a new excuse once the virus situation is settled! Some people post photos, some make comments, and there seem to be many lurkers--all are welcome. Oh, and do you have an issue with messy Goldfinches in your garden? In our current garden, the Squirrels, which are barred from our feeders, along with Blackbirds, Robins, Dunnocks, Magpies and Crows do the tidying up under the feeders for us, which is a huge help. Goldfinches are soooo beautiful, living Christmas decorations as I see them, that we forgive them for being so fussy about which one of each six sunflower hearts they will finally eat after dropping the others!
Kind regards, Ann