Hi everyone, its been very quiet in my garden today, the snow has melted in the rain.
No blackbirds despite getting about 9-10 during the snow, no starlings either, quite a calm but eerie atmosphere. I've just had my usual hoard of birds & all the extras I had during the snow seem to have used me & left me.
However I did have a huge flock of Goldfinches arrive this afternoon about 2.30, I had my usual 6-8 numbers feeding happily then loads just kept coming from nowhere, they were even feeding on the spilt seed on the floor.
I was trying to count them at first. I couldn't get a photo as my Mum has borrowed my camera for her weekend away. There were around 20 birds at a guess, I gave up trying to count them at 16 as there was a huge frenzy & squabble for the niger feeders.
I phoned my O/H & he was in a grump as he doesn't get any. I was just bewildered!
Then as quick as they had come they had gone again, it only lasted about 5 minutes. I am guessing these were just another flock flying over & spotted mine feeding & grabbed what they could.
Do you think they will come back & join my little flock ? Or will the 2 flocks battle it out for territory. Are Goldfinches territorial?
read your post about half hour ago and it prompted me to go get my nyjer feeder and get it cleaned, it was looking very yukky at bottom. Not seen big numbers of Goldies in the garden since b4 christmas but there was a couple this morning. We normally have up to 12 daiily, so hopefully this will be them returning. So a nice clean feeder and fresh nyjer for them to start the day for them tomorrow, I've also just filled the birdtable with what my OH calls my 'enthusiastic' mix, cos I put everything I have into it, lol
Don't know about Goldies being territorial although I;m sure they will be, in the breeding season, to some extent
Wow! All those Goldfinches - and just the way you hadn't got your camera!
We've never had any more than 4 so couldn't say whether they are territorial or not, but I shouldn't imagine they are to the extent of say, a Robin. I always gathered they were a flock bird anyway.
Hope they come back and you have you camera :o)
Yes PaulE, I'm sure my Mum will have a technophobia attack & forget how to use it aswell which will really annoy me when I check the card & there's nothing on it.
Thinking about it I should have just got a new battery for my old 35mm & given her that. But I thought with the digital she could just take the card into a photo printing shop & get them printed off to save my ink & paper.
Brilliant news Birdmum to have all those at once. My 12 from the other day are now reduced to 2 again, so maybe 10 of yours were mine. Sorry about the camera not being to hand. I saw one of my 2 feeding on the ground for a few minutes - never seen that before. I find them feisty birds - they will perch on their 2 feeders, which are side by side with other feeders the starlings use, and they just carry on eating even with 6 or 8 starlings inches away. Today there was even a grumpy pigeon with them, but still they carried on eating.
Cheers, Linda.
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I've never seen them eating the spilt nyger off the ground in my garden before. They do at school but I think that's because the kids spill loads when they have filled them up & trying to hang them back in the tree.
Mine wasn't eating spilt nyjer under the feeders. It was picking up bits from where the sparrows have been feeding, probably sunflower hearts, but nowhere near the feeders.
Hi the birdmum, that's great news about the goldfinches. It must have been wonderful to see them all. Lucky you!
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
I get a large amount of goldfinches in my garde.
Hey farmer, farmer, put away the D.D.T now. Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees, please!
Lovely pic Janet. That reminds me I am going to order some of those feeder rings to clip on to my feeders for the goldfinches, They must be so much more comfortable than eating sideways.