"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Mar 2013 22:28:21 -0000, Roger Tonkin
wrote:


Although I've been aware of it, until all the snow
this week I've never wondered why so much niger seed
seems to be thrown onto the ground by the burds.

Is it really just discarded, or does niger seed,
despite its small size have a hard seed case that the
birds have to remove, and that is what I see scattered
on top of the snow?

The goldfinches that take the niger seed from my feeder are messy
eaters. For every seed they eat a couple of seeds drop to the ground
where other birds eat them.

Steve

I stopped feeding niger seed because of the wastage. I use 50% canary seed,
50% sunflower hearts in my seed feeders and it seems to suit all the small
birds including goldfinches with very little wastage. For chaffinches I use
canary mix on a birdtable and have had 17 at once.
I also put very small grade grit out (the sort you can get for budgies) and
this is also popular.
Blackbirds love sultanas.