My Yard Is A-Flutter With Goldfinches

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40something

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They are back in droves this year! Yesterday I counted 32 on my feeder's at one time and today there has to be even more they are just flying around everywhere.

My red-bellied woodpecker was back today. It is always a good day when he/she returns in the spring. He stops coming to the feeders once the bug population increases but I keep him around by putting cut apples out on a tree. But he spends his days pecking away on the telephone poles at the front of our yard.

There was also one Red-Breasted Grosbeak here today so soon his buddies will be here too.
 
I saw a lovely bird on a walk the other day (I was on the walk, not the bird). It had a gray/black head and wings, but its sides and tummy were practically purple! It was beautiful.

I'm not a birder, but my mom is - we tried to find that one in her bird book but didn't have much luck.

Enjoy all those birdies. I assume you don't have a cat?
 
Good Morning,

I have all kinds of birds at my feeder also. But how do you intice gold finches to your yard? Is there a seperate thing you have to do for them?

Janie
 
Oh we love our birds here in the woods. We also have a ton of goldfinches and at least 5 different species of woodpeckers and so many other species I'd bore everyone listing them. My kids love the pileated woodpeckers and the hawks. I love the little guys (birds). It seems they all come looking and calling for me if I forget to go out and feed them every morning.

There is one cardinal, however, that has been driving us insane for 38 days and counting...
 
>Good Morning,
>
>I have all kinds of birds at my feeder also. But how do you
>indice gold finches to your yard? Is there a seperate thing
>you have to do for them?
>
>Janie



Janie,

Goldfinches love thistle seed.
 
I love our feeders! We get chickadees, finches of many varieties, little red breasted birds I have yet to identify, sparrows, cardinals, big jumbo jet mourning doves who will sit on there FOREVER and just peck away. We have a Downy woodpecker who frequents the huge trees in our yard. Blue Jays, lively chatty crows. We have lots of robins too, but they don't eat at the feeder.
 
Hi Shannon,

It might be a Starling. In the latter part of Spring and during the Summer their beeks are yellow, and bodies are iridescent feathers that flash purple.

Janie

"Whoo Hoo"
-Cathe Friedrich-
 
Hello Melody,

Arn't birds fantastic. I do put out thistle seed, but no, nothing. I know I have gold finches, I've seen them, but they don't stay around. I guess, I'll look on the computer. (It's a wealth of information).

I have a book on birds, and so far I've seen 30 differnt species. Not only do the birds and deer eat the seeds, but the raccoons and opossums do too.

Isn't live grand with these little creatures around?

Nice to hear from you again,

Janie

"Whoo Hoo"
-Cathe Friedrich-
 
Janey,

My boys have several bird books and can tell you what any bird is at site or by their call. I depend on them to inform me!

One of my favorite relaxation times is sitting in a rocker on my porch with my cup of tea and watching the variety, beauty and habits of the birds and listening to them. It really can carry you away.
 
Ok, I have to ask, where do you put the feeders? We are in the process of revamping the back yard and are putting in a new pool and deck, and I want to add a couple of feeders (we have seen some of the most beautiful red birds this year, and I'm not sure how to tell if they're robins or cardinals or something else), but I wonder about... bird poop all over the deck! What's your experience, ladies?

Marie
 
Janie...a couple of suggestion's on the Goldfinches. When it rains, the thistle seed in the feeder can become stuck at the feeder openings so I go out every couple of days and take my thistle feeders down and shake them to loosen up the seed and check to make sure none of the seed openings are clogged.

The second thing is, if you have hawks around you don't want your feeder's out in the open because the birds will not feel safe eating at them. I have hawks in my yard every so often and you can always tell because all the birds will take flight into the tree branches and stay there. All of my feeders either hang from the trees or are ground feeders positioned next to shrubs and trees for immediate cover from hawks. I also have the finch feeders in six different location's so they are spread around to handle the large population I get in the spring and they don't have to fight for position.

I am envious of you guys who get Cardinals daily. I am out in the country on a farm so have much open field around us and it is a very rare occurance that a Cardinal will chance to be in my yard. They don't like to fly over open areas I am told. I do get a male and female once or twice in the dead of winter but other than that I never have them. :(
 
Melody,

Your boys are soooooo cute. I love it when kids take an interrest in nature.

Janie

"Whoo Hoo"
-Cathe Friedrich-
 
Marie,

My feeders are away from the decks and porches but not too far and the birds don't come poop on the decks. Except the 1 cardinal who has fallen in love with my highest windows and is pooping on the open deck and picnic table, ugh.

I live in the forest and don't have the issues of pool area to deal with, but you're wise to think before placing those feeders - the darlings deliver poop galore!
 
Marie...the bird mess with predominately be around the feeder area so be sure to position your feeders away from the pool (lucky you!!) and deck.

Although...my Dh cusses when the raspberries are ripe and we have big blobs of purple bird poop on the driveway!
 
You're right about placing the feeders in a secure feeling area for the birds. My are in a kind of cul-de-sac area of trees and shrubs which makes the birds feel safe, but still gives me a clear view of them. I also put seed out on tree stumps, clay pot saucers etc. in areas which are much more secluded rather than all in a viewing area. Make sure you give them a bird bath to play in also.

Cardinals live in "family units" and love to stay in the same area for life. We have so many as they nest, hatch and stay around year after year with their new family additions.
 
I'm so happy to see so many fellow birders here! My thistle feeder died last year and I haven't replaced it yet. We've just stopped putting feed out till winter. There is enough natural food around now, and we were getting too many "junk" birds like starlings and cowbirds. I do hang out hummingbird feeders and saw my first for the year yesterday. My husband has a bluebird trail in the neighborhood and has one clutch of bluebirds and about 5 of tree swallows. He buys meal worms from a bait shop and feeds the bluebirds all summer. They come whem he makes this kind of kissy noise. It's funny to see him chase away the mockingbird that tries to steal the meal worms.
 
Melody...just keep twisting that knife in my back.

"Cardinals live in "family units" and love to stay in the same area for life. We have so many as they nest, hatch and stay around year after year with their new family additions."


;-) x( ;-) x( ;-)
 
Oh Robin, I wish I could get the bluebirds to stay around here, but they just flit in once a year and leave. But I've not really tried hard enough, must get meal worms, huh? BTW, I love my hummingbirds too. They've been around here for a couple of weeks now.

I have to bring our feeders in every night because of the black bears...those feeders attract them like, well, birds. The bears come around enough without the encouragement.
 
BEARS?!?!! Wow, you are out in the woods! How exciting for you kids though!! Mine would go nuts if they ever saw a bear in the yard.
 
Totally off topic, but I have to reply to the bear comment. I had a mountain lion run across my yard last summer. It was chasing a fawn, flat out. I've never seen anything like it.
 
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