William Wagner wrote:

Buy this book or at least read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Throated-...rgent/dp/08117
26886/ref=sr_1_1/104-5007476-8190325?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194707176&sr=1-
1

or

http://preview.tinyurl.com/28ne64

I'll look that up, links didn't work right away, don't want to take the
time to figure that out now but need to learn tinyrul. I will try to
get it through the library or something, as my book budget is committed
to the cheapest copies of Edward Rowe Snow's books, as many as I can
get. The library doesn't have many of his.

So thanks for the tip on that. I will search Amazon when things calm
down, we've been going round and round about my phone problem on another
group, I've just been putting up with it, more pressing matters, but the
phone guy showed up today and had a heck of a time finding the problem,
but I think we have that solved, need to report back and try to remember
what all happened with that.


Bill

In article ,
helco wrote:


You might find black oil sunflower seeds are easier for the birds to
handle than the striped. I'm not sure how poisonous they would be to
plants underneath.

The thistle seeds used for birds are heat treated so they won't germinate.

HTH

helco

I like the thistle feeder that force the finches to hang upside down.
Finches are the only guys that can do it so it saves money. I also
place electrical shrink wrap on metal supports before it gets real cold.
So no ones feet gets stuck.

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

Hettie® expounded:

I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too,

Grow and let go to seed sunflowers and echinacea, and you'll have all
the goldfinches you want. As for the hummers, I do feed them, only to
get them close to the porch so I can see them up close. They'd be in
the garden anyways, I have all manner of flowers for them to enjoy,
salvias, agastaches, heucheras (they love the old-fashioned coral
bells), the list goes on. What attracts them also attracts
butterflies. Flying flowers )
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Ann wrote:
Hettie® expounded:


I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too,


Grow and let go to seed sunflowers and echinacea, and you'll have all
the goldfinches you want. As for the hummers, I do feed them, only to
get them close to the porch so I can see them up close. They'd be in
the garden anyways, I have all manner of flowers for them to enjoy,
salvias, agastaches, heucheras (they love the old-fashioned coral
bells), the list goes on. What attracts them also attracts
butterflies. Flying flowers )

I have one echinacea, a freebie with a plant order, pretty yellow one,
just planted it so don't know if it will be back in spring. I will try
some overplanting some bulbs in that "bad" spot (mix in some compost
well maybe a little peat despite the sunflower shells making the soil
lighter). But I wanted a few roses there. Decisions decisions. I hope
it is sunny enough. Until I open up the boulevard in front, and my rose
strip in back, I can't plant many more full sun plants.

I can't find any heucheras like I remember as a child or what was here
when we bought the place that my ex recklessly tore out. IIRC, I know
they had pretty pink bells, and I think the leaves had a darker green
tracing around the center of the leaf. A perennial agastache I wanted
isn't hardy in my zone, will look for one that may be.

I'm up to my eyeballs in seeds I have to plant for spring, but want to
make one more order because I see T&M has liatris in their new catalog,
will see if they have any you suggested about the others. I thought I
wanted that double decker echinacea, but the traditional one might be
nicer once the novelty wore off, don't know yet.

I've got way more going than will work in my small yard, my latest is
rooting rose cuttings and few places left to put them, don't want it to
look junky. My tomatoes will now have to go in 5-gal containers because
six rose bushes are going in where I grew some tomatoes from seed this
year.

Thank you.

William Wagner wrote:

Buy this book or at least read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Throated-...rgent/dp/08117
26886/ref=sr_1_1/104-5007476-8190325?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194707176&sr=1-
1

or

http://preview.tinyurl.com/28ne64

Bill

I ordered the hum book through Alibris for $14.37 but may have gotten a
break on shipping through amazon. They didn't have many of the Snow
books I wanted, so I ordered them all through Alibris. Because they are
all coming from a different vendor for each one, the shipping will be
$39.90. Ouch.

The library can get some things on inter-library loan, but that is a lot
of hassle, all that running, make sure you get it back on time to avoid
fines for all the books I ordered and winter coming.

The hummingbird book will be fun. The ones we saw one had an
irridescent green on the neck, probably the male, IIRC.

Thank you for the suggestion. There was another hummingbird book by the
same title by a woman. I got the Sargent, Ruby-Throated one.

"Hettie®" wrote in message
...
I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too, so that is next but
I was worried about thistle seed spilling out. I let a volunteer thistle
grow one year so I could watch it (Sottish national flower) and took many
photos of it for practice mostly, one with a Monarch butterfly. I tried
not to let too many seed pods explode, but was busy with other things.
The next year quite a few thistles all over the yard. I got them all dug
out and under control, so don't think I'll do that again.

The "thistle seed" that is sold for bird feed isn't really a thistle. It's
Nyjer (sometimes Nyger) seed and it's in the sunflower family. If a seed
should happen to sprout it will look like a yellow daisy type flower and
have a very short, non reproductive life span. The Nyjer sold for feeders is
imported from Ethiopia and SE Asia, they've yet to get the stuff to
successfully grow as a harvestable crop anywhere in the US or Canada so
having it sprout up and take over most likely won't be a problem you need to
worry about. Also the imported seed is now heat sterilized so it won't
sprout (that regulation was around 1998) just to make sure non native plants
that may be invasive wouldn't be introduced.

If you want more info about "it's not a thistle seed" you can read it here.
http://www.ebirdseed.com/nyjer_niger..._birdseed.html

Val

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Hettie® contains these words:

I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too, so that is next
but I was worried about thistle seed spilling out. I let a volunteer
thistle grow one year so I could watch it (Sottish national flower)

The nyger seed sold for goldfinches, is a tropical thistle from
Africa. It's not the same plant as the Scottish thistle, at least, it
won't germinate here in Scotland :-)

For some weird reason, birds are very fussy about where they eat
nyger seed from. For a long time I tried in vain to tempt goldfinches
with niger seed, which I put in conventional seed holders, or on the
bird table. Every bird in the garden refused to touch it and many other
gardeners I know, had the same experience.

Then at a friends house, I was astonished to see a dozen or more
goldficnches flocking to a special nyger-seed holder which is a plastic
tube with very narrow holes at each feeding-station. I bought one at
Petsmart, and now we have flocks of goldfinches. They still won't touch
nyger seed served any other way.

Janet.

Few things I forgot to mention about Finch feeders. The type that
force them to eat upside down are really comical! Wrap some bright
yellow ribbons or tape about your feeder. Yellow to a Finch is similar
to Hummers going to red. Seems when it is mating time the male Finch
turns bright yellow.

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

Ann wrote:

[....]
butterflies. Flying flowers )

I like that expression. "Flying flowers"

the blue ones are my favorite.

William Wagner wrote:
In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:


The message
from Hettie® contains these words:


I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too, so that is next
but I was worried about thistle seed spilling out. I let a volunteer
thistle grow one year so I could watch it (Sottish national flower)

The nyger seed sold for goldfinches, is a tropical thistle from
Africa. It's not the same plant as the Scottish thistle, at least, it
won't germinate here in Scotland :-)

For some weird reason, birds are very fussy about where they eat
nyger seed from. For a long time I tried in vain to tempt goldfinches
with niger seed, which I put in conventional seed holders, or on the
bird table. Every bird in the garden refused to touch it and many other
gardeners I know, had the same experience.

Then at a friends house, I was astonished to see a dozen or more
goldficnches flocking to a special nyger-seed holder which is a plastic
tube with very narrow holes at each feeding-station. I bought one at
Petsmart, and now we have flocks of goldfinches. They still won't touch
nyger seed served any other way.

Janet.


Few things I forgot to mention about Finch feeders. The type that
force them to eat upside down are really comical! Wrap some bright
yellow ribbons or tape about your feeder. Yellow to a Finch is similar
to Hummers going to red. Seems when it is mating time the male Finch
turns bright yellow.

Bill

Thank you for all the wonderful info and helpful tips. I have
patronized this site often lately, and there are a lot of tube feeders
at the link. Which would would be ideal? Which ones (if any) could
they hang unside down on? My only condition is I don't want one too
long. Can't use it until next year anyway, I'll have to read up on
finches, too, but don't want to buy any more books right now!

Please copy and past the item# if you respond so I know for sure which one.

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/tub...rs_thistle.asp

I already ordered the birch feeder (it fits my yard scheme the best,
have a clump of birches in front), VC-LOG-2T, & one gift because they
only had 3 in stock. I get free shipping that way. I can get another
finch feeder if you think the birch log won't work, and Christmas is
coming anyway.

In article ,
Hettie® wrote:

William Wagner wrote:
In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:


The message
from Hettie® contains these words:


I've always wanted to try to attract goldfinches, too, so that is next
but I was worried about thistle seed spilling out. I let a volunteer
thistle grow one year so I could watch it (Sottish national flower)

The nyger seed sold for goldfinches, is a tropical thistle from
Africa. It's not the same plant as the Scottish thistle, at least, it
won't germinate here in Scotland :-)

For some weird reason, birds are very fussy about where they eat
nyger seed from. For a long time I tried in vain to tempt goldfinches
with niger seed, which I put in conventional seed holders, or on the
bird table. Every bird in the garden refused to touch it and many other
gardeners I know, had the same experience.

Then at a friends house, I was astonished to see a dozen or more
goldficnches flocking to a special nyger-seed holder which is a plastic
tube with very narrow holes at each feeding-station. I bought one at
Petsmart, and now we have flocks of goldfinches. They still won't touch
nyger seed served any other way.

Janet.


Few things I forgot to mention about Finch feeders. The type that
force them to eat upside down are really comical! Wrap some bright
yellow ribbons or tape about your feeder. Yellow to a Finch is similar
to Hummers going to red. Seems when it is mating time the male Finch
turns bright yellow.

Bill

Thank you for all the wonderful info and helpful tips. I have
patronized this site often lately, and there are a lot of tube feeders
at the link. Which would would be ideal? Which ones (if any) could
they hang unside down on? My only condition is I don't want one too
long. Can't use it until next year anyway, I'll have to read up on
finches, too, but don't want to buy any more books right now!

Please copy and past the item# if you respond so I know for sure which one.

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/tub...rs_thistle.asp

I already ordered the birch feeder (it fits my yard scheme the best,
have a clump of birches in front), VC-LOG-2T, & one gift because they
only had 3 in stock. I get free shipping that way. I can get another
finch feeder if you think the birch log won't work, and Christmas is
coming anyway.




http://www.google.com/search?client=...de+down+finch+
feeder&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I purchased one from here.

http://www.birdsforever.com/thistle.html


Have lots of fun !

Bill who purchased all sorts of feeders which proved to be useless.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

William Wagner wrote:

http://www.google.com/search?client=...de+down+finch+
feeder&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I purchased one from here.

http://www.birdsforever.com/thistle.html

Which one did you purchase since you have tried so many already?
Several would do, kind of lean toward this one, and it is cheap, #PP399,
don't care for the yellow plastic capper all that much but it may help
attract them.

Don't care for the folksy painted one, or the spiral ones except the
green capper would blend in better than yellow, (money an issue but will
spend what it takes), other spiral model too long, Magnums? might be ok
but prefer ones with traditional perches, Droll Yankee mini too small,
the bigger one better, but wish it were more natural material, looks
like aluminum. Would their feet freeze, don't know when they migrate,
surely whatever were here are gone by now?

I'm too picky and even if I didn't have a camera would certainly enjoy
watching them. But it is a factor to find a "photogenic" one and heaven
knows the difficulty in setting up decent shots without spooking them,
best way is my tripod and my remote, plus I need to put it someplace
were there wouldn't be something ugly and distracting in the bg which is
not easy around here but doable. BTW, some photographer did wonders
with that ITEM #TH-3, it's loaded and a good shot. I'm just am amateur
but work hard at it.

I don't have to buy it at bestnest; they just happened to have several
things I liked & needed at good prices, a few of the purchases were
extravagant.

Thanks for the link!



Have lots of fun !

Bill who purchased all sorts of feeders which proved to be useless.

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from Hettie® contains these words:


http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/tub...rs_thistle.asp


Hi hettie, the above looks much like my thistle feeder. Plus, from
your link I found out what William meant by the one that makes them
hang upside down ; and that American goldfinch (carduelis tristis) is
not the same bird as a British goldfinch (carduelis carduelis), yours
have more gold and ours have a red cap like this

www.birdfood.co.uk/.../goldfinch_01.jpg

Janet (Scotland)

Hi Janet, well at least we both have finches, and that is a good thing.

Now I see at my bestnest link a lot are exactly the same as at the link
William supplied me. I see the upsidedown one, too. I don't mind
upsidedown, but don't want one where that is the only position they can
feed, fun at times to watch, but looks unnatural. I guess you can't
have it both ways.

Maybe the one I ordered (looks like fake birch and I have tons of birch
I've collected, too many things lined up to try to make one), will work.
I can always set it up and buy another one later if that one doesn't
attract any.

Your goldfinch link comes up with a not found. It's nice to have
someone from Scotland around here, doubt I'll ever get to see the place,
but have much of it in my ancestry. I've seen many photos in nice books
about Scotland, but it is hard to get a feel for the place. Some of it
looks so rugged and remote, but you have those beautiful, long-haired
cows which I suppose nobody breeds much. And probably a lot of other
unusual things and natural beauty. There must be good gardening areas, too.

In article ,
Hettie® wrote:


www.birdfood.co.uk/.../goldfinch_01.jpg

Janet (Scotland)

Hi Janet, well at least we both have finches, and that is a good thing.

Now I see at my bestnest link a lot are exactly the same as at the link
William supplied me. I see the upsidedown one, too. I don't mind
upsidedown, but don't want one where that is the only position they can
feed, fun at times to watch, but looks unnatural. I guess you can't
have it both ways.

May be their nature. I've been filling up the feeder every other
day. Hard to think a wood pecker can hammer away for a grub but they do
for which I am grateful.
I have a hard time wondering just what is natural or not. Closer to
human ideals seem to make the question a bit bias. Dung beetles come to
mind. Anyway these upside finches seem to come back look about upright
then spin to the inverse without thinking about it.

PS Hummers can't walk weird world eh?

Bill who hopes you enjoy birding for a long time.

RED Flowers attract as would a red car.

................

I've been hoping for a Mac version of this for years.

http://www.thayerbirding.com/dnn/

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

"Hettie®" wrote in message
...


Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from Hettie® contains these words:


http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/tub...rs_thistle.asp


Hi hettie, the above looks much like my thistle feeder. Plus, from
your link I found out what William meant by the one that makes them
hang upside down ; and that American goldfinch (carduelis tristis) is
not the same bird as a British goldfinch (carduelis carduelis), yours
have more gold and ours have a red cap like this

www.birdfood.co.uk/.../goldfinch_01.jpg

Janet (Scotland)

Hi Janet, well at least we both have finches, and that is a good thing.

Now I see at my bestnest link a lot are exactly the same as at the link
William supplied me. I see the upsidedown one, too. I don't mind
upsidedown, but don't want one where that is the only position they can
feed, fun at times to watch, but looks unnatural. I guess you can't have
it both ways.

Maybe the one I ordered (looks like fake birch and I have tons of birch
I've collected, too many things lined up to try to make one), will work. I
can always set it up and buy another one later if that one doesn't attract
any.

Your goldfinch link comes up with a not found. It's nice to have someone
from Scotland around here, doubt I'll ever get to see the place, but have
much of it in my ancestry. I've seen many photos in nice books about
Scotland, but it is hard to get a feel for the place. Some of it looks so
rugged and remote, but you have those beautiful, long-haired cows which I
suppose nobody breeds much. And probably a lot of other unusual things
and natural beauty. There must be good gardening areas, too.

"Hettie®" wrote in message
...

This is the place I order most of my bird stuff. Very nice people on the
phone, quick shipping, good prices. http://www.nottawawildbirdsupply.com/

They have some nice thistle feeders.

Val