Nyger Seed

I've never had much success with Nyger seeds either. The only birds that have shown any interest in them have been fine billed species like Siskins and Redpolls but they are rare visitors to my garden.
I would recommend that you switch to sunflower hearts which are popular with most birds. Most people on this forum would endorse that I think.
Of course, the siting of feeders can be a factor too. Birds when feeding don't like to feel too exposed so try siting your feeders near a bush or tree where they can retreat if danger threatens

Nyjer seeds are hit and miss with me too. Sometimes can't keep up with them - Goldfinches, siskins and redpolls mostly then will go for months and they don't get touched. Summer seems to be a more popular time for them to take them.

Thanks so much for your replies. Very much appreciated.

I feed Niger seed as well as sunflower hearts and both get eaten, I can fill the feeders, along with peanuts and seed and all will be gone in no time, so no waste here, I am up in Caithness at the very top of Scotland.

Wow that is far up north, have you seen anything super rare/interesting that you wouldn’t see down south? Thanks, Ellis

I'm in wester Ross but I am thinking you'll get a lot more migrants passing by than we do.

I too had limited success with nyjer seeds, I got a smallish bag to try and attract the two gold finches I’d seen near my home. They turned up a few times but weren’t overly impressed. Now I mix it in with other seed mixes and sunflower hearts which do seem quite popular. It all seems to get eaten. If you can attract different species to your garden, ‘word’ will get around and if you have green and gold finches in your area, they should turn up eventually.

Ellis, KO1, I would say that I have not had anything different or unusual but probably get birds that are well known but others don't get. Have a list of 26 I think.
Regularly, Sparrow, Dunnock, Starling, Blackbird, Blue Tit. Great Tit, Robin, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Collard Dove, Pigeon, Crow, Seagull, Wren
Fairly Regularily, Song Thrush, Siskin, Sparrowhawk
Some sightings, Coal Tit, Brambling, Pied Wagtail, Woodpecker, Redwing, Greenfinch                                           Single sightings, Redpoll, Tree Creeper, Long Tail Tits,
I had a swallows nest in the porch one year and followed the progress, two babies, had them ringed but as one was getting the ring on the other flew the nest!

That’s more than I get down south in England, but I do live in the middle of a busy village. Rarest thing I’ve probably got was a Redpoll or a Siskin, but they only came once