topic Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS? in Garden

ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Dazlin — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 20:59:09 GMT

I'm thinking I'd like to put out a Finche feeder. Although I get them in my other feeders, im considering one designed for them. I see some without perches, and with them. I tend to like the little perches in case other birds come. Also, is thistle seed the only feed they especially like? I'm in Central Florida, so i think they should show up November or maybe later towards January?? Let me know if use a finch feeder you like.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

FastDogWalker2 — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:13:25 GMT

I have had one and no one fed from it and it got moldy. I am in SE VA and we do get finches. Not sure why it wasn't popular?

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Krimpette — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:22:31 GMT

I'm in the metro-DC. area and have 2 finch feeders. They are typically very popular, especially during the summer. But even now there is activity every day. Not only finches, but sparrows also. (I also have a feeder that is stock with shelled sunflower chips, and anotherr with safflower seed. And I occasionally put out a suet cake)

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

IShopQ — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:26:55 GMT

My feeder layout has always included a finch feeder. I have the standard one with perches and tiny slots that will only dispense thistle seed which gives these smaller birds a place to go when the black oil sunflower seed feeders are hosting larger birds.

We have four distinct seasons and have birds that are only here in the warm months as well as ones that are unique to the colder ones. In our yard, the thistle feeder is primarily used by American Goldfinches year round...Pine Siskins love it in the colder months and we get the occasional Indigo Buntings during the early Spring migration before their natural foods become more readily available. It's a feeder that you can hang in the trees away from your main feeding station if you like because squirrels will not bother with it.

We also have year round House and Purple Finches but they prefer sunflower seed. Hope that helps

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

geezerette — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:42:13 GMT

@FastDogWalker2 wrote:
I have had one and no one fed from it and it got moldy. I am in SE VA and we do get finches. Not sure why it wasn't popular?

@FastDogWalker2

I tried finch feeders for several years and while I have plenty of various types of finches, none of them used the feeders.

And they didn't like the thistle, either. I ended up throwing it all out. My finches just prefer the regular platform feeders with sunflower seeds that the other birds use.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

tucsongal — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:01:19 GMT

You might want to try a less expensive thistle sock feeder to see if the birds like the seed. Our yard is so small now, we don’t do birdseed of any kind, but the goldfinches love our little fountain as a water source.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

drizzellla — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 18:02:15 GMT

My husband bought a sock feeder last year. It was a huge success. The other birds tried and tried but were unable to figure it out. I think the big birds chased the finches away. Because they stopped coming and the seed went bad.

So this week my husband bought a tube feeder designed for finches. Today he saw the first finches on it but he was walking into the backyard and they flew away.

They are an attractive bird.

PS - my husband was so excited about seeing finches on the feeder yesterday, he ran out yesterday and bought another feeder for the finches.

PSS - Watching a finch right now on the feeder. It is so windy, I can not believe the bird can stay on the perch. It is funny, the finch is eating away and dropping seeds on the ground. A squirrel is right under him eating the seeds that drop.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

goldensrbest — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:31:47 GMT

I have a finch feeder,i just took down about two wks .ago, they had stopped eating the thistle, i had luck last winter with the socks,somewhat, the seed was good,so don't know why they stopped feeding from the feeder. But now the males are gone.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

fthunt — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:44:46 GMT

@goldensrbest The males might not be gone..........they shed their yellow feathers in the Fall so it's near impossible to tell one gender from the other. (they molt)

Thistle seed can be very expensive and - - - 9 times out of 10 - it's dusty. Finches - like other birds - will not eat dirty food. I've thrown out $75 worth of tiny seeds b/c birds would not eat.

Now I feed a mix of fruit & nuts - and sunflower chips. Finches love sunflower - not safflower seeds.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

goldensrbest — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:47:43 GMT

Yes, i will not buy any more thistle seed, i find black oil sunflower seeds every bird likes.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

tarsmom — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 01:28:38 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
Yes, i will not buy any more thistle seed, i find black oil sunflower seeds every bird likes.

I agree! I only buy BOSS and I have tons of birds at my feeders. I also buy suet cakes for them and get lots of woodpeckers.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

JustJazzmom — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 05:43:06 GMT

I use the Droll Yankees thistle tube feeder -- in the photo with the yellow bottom. Like all feeders, they need to be cleaned & scrubbed regularly to get rid of wet or moldy seed. It's also a good idea to clean below a feeder of dropped seed for same reason & it helps keep other critters from coming & eating it.

I just cleaned my feeder today & refilled it after drying off the inside. I get house, common & gold finches. As someone said, the male goldfinches turn a drab olivey color. It's not a good idea to look bright yellow when all the trees are bare.

Finches will also eat the seed heads of spent coneflowers or echinacea. The thistle is good to set up in the winter months because of the lack of other food sources for them. The finches remain year round & don't migrate.

All the blackbirds both red wing & common have migrated to warmer climes south of us already. They left in early October.

I'm waiting for the juncos to come down from Canada. It's too warm right now.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Dazlin — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 11:49:45 GMT

Ok, im definitely going to try one....another question I have....those of you that had luck with the sunflower seeds for Finches, can I put them in any finch feeder?

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

JustJazzmom — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 15:53:52 GMT

@Dazlin wrote:
Ok, im definitely going to try one....another question I have....those of you that had luck with the sunflower seeds for Finches, can I put them in any finch feeder?

The holes are too tiny in a typical tube type finch feeder for seeds that size. You would need either a metal mesh tube feeder or a regular open hole tube feeder.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Dazlin — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 16:03:13 GMT

@JustJazzmom , I actually have a metal tube feeder filled with regular seeds, but ill get another one just for the finches😀. I might try a finch feeder with thistle too. I used thistle last spring to keep the cowbirds away. I think the finches ate it if I remember right. I always have sunflower seeds without the shells, the Cardinals love them. Thanks!!

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

drizzellla — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 16:43:31 GMT

@Dazlin wrote:
Ok, im definitely going to try one....another question I have....those of you that had luck with the sunflower seeds for Finches, can I put them in any finch feeder?

The only way I think sunflower seeds would work, is if the shell had already been removed. But even then not sure that the seed would fit through the small opening in the feeder.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Sooner — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 16:47:21 GMT

Like the pictures above, we fed thistle seeds to goldfinches and pine siskins.

The goldfinches mooched all winter, just started to turn gold and LEFT! Now is that gratitude or what!

For some reason we had to take the feeders down (cats? Wind? Squirrels?) and haven't done it since. We enjoyed it though.

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Dazlin — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 20:40:04 GMT

Thanks everyone...ill try both types of feeders...ill send pics here. Please post your pics of your birds and feeders, and continue to enjoy what nature has given us. I used to have parakeets and had to give them up...now I have beautiful birds just a few feet away, how wonderful is that!!

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

Dazlin — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 12:08:13 GMT

I'm noticing a slow in bird activity. Im in Central Florida.

Its still been pretty warm here, and I think the birds have plenty of natural foods, so im not seeing as many at my feeders for the last 2 weeks. Should I wait to put out the finch feeders, or give it a try and maybe attract them?

I really don't know if they're here year round or only in winter??

Re: ANYONE USE FINCH FEEDERS?

JustJazzmom — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:55:50 GMT

Put them out so the birds that do come, discover it. Words gets out among the birds when a reliable food source happens. Some birds send out a scout to assess the area before telling the others, "c'mon over, it safe here."