For the past 3 years or so I have had goldfinches in my garden so much so that I invested in a nyger feeder which was a great success.
Over the past few months though I have seen only one goldfinch.
Seems a shame but I am now thinking I shall take the feeder down as the seed is rather expensive to waste.
The goldfinches will still have the sunflower hearts so they won't go hungry if they do turn up.
Anyone else got regulars who don't turn up anymore?
It's not always easy to hug a hedgehog.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
Finches are a bit thin on the ground (or on the feeders) in my garden. I'm getting up to four Goldfinches but mostly only two at a time and only the occasional Greenfinch and Chaffinch. No sign of Redpolls or Siskins so far this winter.
I think there must be an abundance of natural food in the countryside after the warm summer and the (so far) mild winter.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
I've never seen Greenfinches for a number of years. But they have of course been reportedly been scarcer in the UK for a number of years.
Regards,
Ian.
I bought the Droll Yankee 20 port feeder for the Goldies and they have been daily visitors for about two years now. Currently there are about half a dozen regulars, but numbers get up to maybe 15 or so during the Summer months. They do love their niger seed!
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
I've very rarely seen Goldfinches in my garden unfortunately. I've only seen the odd Goldfinch in my garden over the last 62 years in my house and garden, which is the same house since I was born in 1952.
No Goldfinches here for a while either, yet we used to have up to 16/20 this time of year. There were only a few pairs in the Spring/Summer last year too. Chaffinches seem to have vanished as well. It will be interesting doing the Bird Watch.
Best wishes
Val.
I've had a lot less finches than usual this year too - only 2 occasional goldfinches, 2 greenfinches and a few chaffinches - lots of magpies and jackdaws though! The snow might bring a few more around though.
see my photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggyn/
We do have gold finches this year, though not in the numbers we've seen in previous years, they seem to be going for the sunflower hearts over niger seed for some reason. There are lots of chaffinches 2 regulars have only 1 leg but seem to manage.
Well I had 2 goldfinches turn up this morning!
They both went for the sunflower hearts so am still going to take down the nyger for a while.
I can use the nyger in my homemade fatballs so won't be wasted.
Also have a single female chaffinch around,something I have not seen for a couple of years!