This year at the bird table.

I know that winter is suposed to be over but we still have loads of siskins and goldfinches feeding at the bird table. Not unusual you may think but this is the first year ever that we have managed to attract them. We have got 3 feeders with niger seeds this year and they love them. We bought the same feeders for my MIL and she is attracting bullfinches to hers as well.
It's lovely to see them.

 

Hi fmay we have had Goldfinches as well this year four in total and I have managed to get some photos of them.I brought some Niger seed the other month from the RSPB shop at Sandy but forgot to put the perches down on the feeder so couldn't understand why they were not interested.:o:D Once I realised my mistake they flocked to it.I rapidly ran out of the niger seed so brought some from our local Wyevale but it is thistle seed and not Niger but they love it all the same.:thmb:

Only problem now is for every seed the Goldfinches eat a dozen fall onto the garden so now I am going to have thistles growing in my borders and in my lawn:(

Glad to hear about the Siskins I don't think we shall attract them but then again I have had a Reed Bunting visiting the garden for months now so must be doing something right:thmb::D

 

interesting to read
i too have noticed a marked increase in goldfinches and also greenfrinch
but noticeably almost absent are robins
they were around midwinter but for since the clocks went forward i have hardly seen them
anyone else notice this?

 

We attract starlings, sparrows, wood pigeon, blue tits, coal tits, and lots of blackbirds.

Our Robin has disappeared, not seen since around Christmas time:( and we have a magpie, with no tail! We occasionally get a wren.

Have been putting thistle seeds out to try and attract other birds, but nothing as yet. I'm finding that the birds are eating lots at the moment, and polish off our offerings sharpish!

They are a pleasure to watch!

 

plant1star

we attract similair birds too but mot magpies

we get chaffinch thrush and wren too and yes at the moment i am topping up the feeders nearly every other day

 

Same here as far as random visits go. Song Thrush came for two months and went, Coal Tits came and went but no Great Tits for two years, first greenfinch on feeders for a year and and the wren only at dusk.:(

 

Our Yorkshire birds appear to very hungry as well. We have a new family of blackbirds that a knocking on the door come breakfast time.
Well... maybe not knocking on the door... but you know what I mean.....
Seeds are topped up every day.

 

I've got Robins - and one is a real bully always chasing the sparrows off.

Blue tits, coal tits and great tits - although less great tits than last year. Green finch are back this year after being missing for 2 years but only one pair.

Also one rather aggressive blackbird trying desperately to feel from the seed feeder.

I've got niger seed out but the goldfinches aren't playing which I'm sad about. I've spotted them occasionally close by so I'm not sure why they won't come and feed.

What's the difference between siskins and green finch 'cos there's some I'm not sure of?

 

The siskins look like a smaller, finer version of the greenfinch.

We have robins nesting in the ivy this year



Woodpigeons nesting for the first time as well, but unfortunately we also have a visiting sparrowhawk which appears to be picking them off one at a time

 

Hec here is a pic I put up a few weeks ago of Siskins (ignore the Redpolls, sparrows with red hats:D)
They are similar to a Canary and have more yellow than a Greenfinch and a dark face.

 

greenfinch this morning

 

Hmmh! I think they are siskins that I am seeing, they are definitely very yellow rather than olive with a yellow flash.

Might Siskins and Greenfinch hang together - or if there is a group will they more likely be all the same?

I'll have to look at their faces tomorrow see if they are dark :D

Love that feeder you have too!

 

woodpigeon trying to work out how to get some food
they usually scrat around on the ground looking for spilt sunflowerseeds ans sunflowerhearts





success at last

 

Hec, that is not my feeder (unfortunately), it was at Blashford Lakes nature reserve in Hampshire.
Siskins and Greenfinches will feed together.