Hi everyone, I was just watching a pair of chaffinches in my garden and noticed that I always see the male on the seed feeder, whilst the female prefers tp stay on the ground beneath the feeder and pick up the food that's fallen there. Is this a common difference between the genders or is this unique to this particular pair?
We get lots of chaffies in the garden and they all feed on the ground, never on the feeders. I have noticed that a lone male often sits in a tree or on the fence watching while all the others feed on the ground. A lookout perhaps? Or maybe he is king chaffinch looking down on his courtiers below!
There is something new to learn everyday...
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My male chaffinch uses a tray feeder fixed near the top of a fence all the time - a mixture of sunflower hearts, peanut granules and a high protein seed mix. The female has probably used it but this photo is the nearest I have seen her to it. She is about to "walk the plank"!!!! Neither of them uses the ground very often.
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi somethingofadreamer
All through the winter I had one male chaffinch. Felt really sorry for him to be honest, he came in every day and fed from the ground only. 2 weeks ago, 13 chaffinches turned up and now my lone has so many mates! Both sexes use my feeders (grrr not the niger feeder), in fact I would say the females are using the feeders as much as the males, I assume these numbers also include my lone one.
Regards
Kerry
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Unknown said:2 weeks ago, 13 chaffinches turned up and now my lone has so many mates!
Hi Kezmo,
13 chaffinches???? Well done, that's brilliant. What a lovely sight. Do they come every day? I hope they stay with you, and they may just bring their golden cousins!!
Hi Sparrow
Yeah I know, I couldn't believe it either. We've always had Chaffinches but they disappeared when the really cold weather came barring one who has stayed all the way through. A couple of weeks ago the others turned up and were eating merrily away from the ground and the feeders. They're still here and what's also great my Greenfinches have come back as well. Not as many Greenfinches as usual, I've got 2 so far. As for the Goldfinches, I live in hope. :-)
Hi everyone
Both my female and my male use the feeders. The male eats 'Sundrops' when they are available (i.e. the tits haven't eaten them all), otherwise he eats plain sunflower seeds
Best wishes Chris
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Great your greenfinches are trickling back. The rest will follow. I'm sure it won't be long before your garden is full of finches - including the golden variety. I've been inundated with them this past couple of weeks, I've had 2 greenfinches, 2 red polls and a bullfinch. Only the greenfinches have made return visits though. My goldies are now 4, increased from 2, but the winter gang of 17 or so haven't come back. How's the safflower these days???!!! LOL.
Hi Woodpecker,
Fantastic photos of your chaffinches. They are such pretty birds. I'm pleased to hear about everyone's chaffinches eating from feeders. I'd rather mine were up there than on the ground.
Susan H said: How's the safflower these days???!!! LOL.
How's the safflower these days???!!! LOL.
LOL to you too! Yes I still have them, they're in a bag sitting on my window sill, I can't bear to throw them away yet. I keep meaning to take them out with me when walking but forget each time. OH says throw them but I can't bring myself to do that yet.
I'm jealous about your redpolls as I don't have any of them. Did have a female blackcap for one day but she never returned.
She's here, sitting in a bush - looks a bit shocked I know but I think she wasn't expecting me to jump out on her with the camera.....(sorry I know this is a Chaffinch thread).
She is so cute. It's my turn to be jealous! Lovely picture.
I still have my large bag of safflower. We live and learn! It's consigned to the utility room along with a box full of useless fat balls!
Susan H said:I still have my large bag of safflower. We live and learn! It's consigned to the utility room along with a box full of useless fat balls!
Hi Sparrow & Kezmo
What's this about safflower? Did the birds not eat it?