Finches!?

Hi Coal,

We get Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

We had one feeder for ages with mixed feed in it. This attracted chaffinch and greenfinch pretty quickly. The greenfinch were very fussy and spat a lot out. We changed feed to one that was nearly all sunflower, and that attracted more greenfinch. As soon as we moved back to the original feed, the geenfinch' vanished. Bring back the sunflowers   seeds and the greenfinch return.

We had a nyjer feeder up for nearly two years with no luck. During that time I planted teasels, which I knew goldfinch' love. They take a long time to grow, but attract plenty of wildlife. We actually saw goldfinch' on our teasels one rainy day just after Christmas. They soon found the nyjer feeder, and now we see them every day.

Maybe try moving the feeders. Sometimes birds like a small tree or shrub to hide in before getting on the feeder. 

I hope this gives you some hope/help.

Cheers, Billy.

There's not a lot you can do really, though I would suggest switching the striped sunflower seeds to black sunflower seeds as I believe they are the most energy-rich.  If you've not seen any finches around then there may be none around to attract.  I find that unlikely but depending on your area it is possible.  Regardless, there's probably not much you can do except maybe look at feeder positioning - see if that could be making them reluctant to come in to feed.  Is there plenty of cover around for them?

What is eating the niger seed?

Coal said:

Hi,

    I have been feeding the birds for 1 year.

 

I have A striped sunflower seed feeder.

2 suet feeders

1 peanut feeder

1 Mixed seed Feeder

1 robin seed mix

1 Blue tit seed and mealworm mix.

 a Niger seed feeder

and a bird bath.

 

But I've never even seen a Finch around here.

Any help! ;D

 

                      Coal.

Tits like to hide in trees, do you have any trees near your feeders?

they fav food is sunflower seeds, black

The niger seed has only been up for 1 week but with no success.

My garden is literally a forest of trees, bushes and 7ft high walls of Ivy on all sides! So I think there is enough cover! ;D

I used to have a seed feeder under an archway of ivy and the sparrows would fight over who got to sit on the 2 ports, sometimes sharing!

But With my new feeder I have NEVER had ANYTHING on the seed feeder!

Over the last 3 months Ive had

sparrows

starlings

3 blue tits

0 great tits!

blackbirds

All the birds feed on the floor except the blue tits!

                Coal

Coal,

I had a nyjer feeder up for several months and was about to abandon it. It was hanging from the guttering of a shed with cover very close. I decided to give it a try on my feeding station pole, which is out in the open, a good 7 feet from cover but with all round visibility.  Within 2 days I had a small group of goldfinches, which have now increased in size and are with me much of the day, every day.

Paul, I agree with you. My niger seed is not a favourite in our garden. The most popular food is the sunflower hearts with our birds (including the goldfinch) but when I read others' posts I have realised how much this differs  from garden to garden. It does seem to be a case of, finding out what 'your birds prefer'.