@Slow-worm, we usually had between over a dozen goldfinches up till Xmas but when I took the bird feeders down for a week after, they didn't come back and I was so disappointed. However, we've seen four today so perhaps the words got around, hopefully.
I buy sunflower chips in bulk as I found the goldfinches seem able to eat them more easily and don't drop so many bits on the ground.
@Lizzie27 good luck, I'm sure they'll get the message and come back. I've just got 5kg of sunflower (probably should have got double that, lol). I don't know if they'll go for the peanuts I've put out today, everything ignored them previously, so I just grind them up in a coffee grinder and mix them with seed. Do other finches go for nuts?
Most other birds will eat peanuts, especially small nibs @Slow-worm. Many seed mixes have small pieces in them, and that's better when it comes to the youngsters feeding, as the whole peanuts are quite dangerous for them. Sparrows and goldfinches are very messy eaters though, so it's always a problem keeping the place neat. They remind me of my older daughter
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
🤣 @Fairygirl I like to add some extra peanuts in winter, but I don't feed them in spring and summer. The only time anything's gone for any nuts is when our local squirrel worked out how to untie the feeder - every time she went off to bury a nut, I moved it a bit closer to my chair.. within half an hour she was pootling around our feet and jumped up on the table.
We watched one squirrel grab hold of a feeder and throw it on the ground to then get the peanuts. We have since tried different things to stop them climbing up to the feeders.
I have clouds of goldfinches in my garden all year round but I have been feeding the birds here for nearly 24 years and I'm the only garden around here that does so no wonder it costs me £12 per week in sunflower hearts alone not to mention suet pellets and fat balls. I will skip meals myself before giving up feeding the birds.... They rely on me and I need them!
I stopped using peanuts a while ago - it just encourages the grey rats with bushy tails, and I'm certainly not contributing to that. The food has also increased in price a lot @WonkyWomble, but I've also noticed that even the no mess feeds have been sneaking more wheat into the mixes, which is annoying.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Your right @Fairygirl.... It's doubled in price and I can't afford to buy in bulk to make savings. I did try cheaper mixed seed but the finches pick it out and drop it in the floor and then I get pigeons!! I still find feeding the birds cheaper than the therapy I need to live in this crazy world and it has the same calming effects with the benefits of keeping the bird population going 😀
Indeed @WonkyWomble. I use garden wildlife direct as it still works out cheaper than many others. You need to spend £25 to get free postage, but even if I only want the seed mix, it's worth adding on something small to get it over that line. I got one of the peanut butter jars recently, and the robins love it.
If you fancy a nice podcast to listen to, we have a lovely programme on R. Scotland called Scotland Outdoors which covers all sorts of subjects. I'm listening to the current one and there's a lovely item about tawny owls.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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I buy sunflower chips in bulk as I found the goldfinches seem able to eat them more easily and don't drop so many bits on the ground.
I've just got 5kg of sunflower (probably should have got double that, lol).
I don't know if they'll go for the peanuts I've put out today, everything ignored them previously, so I just grind them up in a coffee grinder and mix them with seed. Do other finches go for nuts?
Sparrows and goldfinches are very messy eaters though, so it's always a problem keeping the place neat. They remind me of my older daughter
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I like to add some extra peanuts in winter, but I don't feed them in spring and summer.
The only time anything's gone for any nuts is when our local squirrel worked out how to untie the feeder - every time she went off to bury a nut, I moved it a bit closer to my chair.. within half an hour she was pootling around our feet and jumped up on the table.
The food has also increased in price a lot @WonkyWomble, but I've also noticed that even the no mess feeds have been sneaking more wheat into the mixes, which is annoying.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If you fancy a nice podcast to listen to, we have a lovely programme on R. Scotland called Scotland Outdoors which covers all sorts of subjects. I'm listening to the current one and there's a lovely item about tawny owls.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...