OT- Finch feeders

My brother in law the farmer dislikes birders putting thistle seeds in feeders. It increases the likelihood of his fields having more thistles in them. I usually just get different sizes of sunflower hearts.

I have been buying finch thistle for a few years now. I think it must be sterile because it doesn't sprout around the feeding spot like other bird seeds often do. Most of the fields in this part of the world are covered with new stucco houses these days. : (

Jane, we have really enjoyed watching the finches on the socks. I got mine at walmart but the fabric they are made of is around. When we lived at our last house I had a small wall fountain and a finch sock right out a bay window with a bench seat. It was the best spot in the house. When the gal that ended up buying the house came to see it she actually asked how we kept our birds from flying away. I guess she thought they were pets or something. Feed them and they will come.

The cats have a lot of hours in watching also. Since they are inside cats the birds are safe. We don't have raccoons here but my dad does. They like to eat the neighbor's pond fish. They are pretty destructive creatures.

We did have a thread hanging from one of our socks one finch got tangled in. DH rescued the poor little thing and off he flew but I don't want that to happen again.

Here is what they look like for anyone still reading:

KJ wrote:

FYI: bird feeder thistle seed

Niger thistle (Guizotia abyssinica) is an annual plant, which belongs to the sunflower family. The crop is used exclusively as bird seed in the U.S.A. but is valued as an oilseed in other countries. The seed contains approximately 42% oil, composed primarily of linoleic acid.

Currently, the entire U.S. usage of niger (approximately 70 million pounds annually) is imported from India, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Nepal.

Several farming regions in the United States and Canada have tried to grow Niger as an alternative crop but have thus been unsuccessful.

Those thistles in your BIL's field are *not* from bird feeders.

Val

Not my fields....no research on my part. Just repeating what I was told. Won't do that anymore!

The birds will also tear those bags (store bought or homemade) open or to shreds after only being up a short time. You're better off buying a thistle feeder and then fill it from a bag of seed.

link will show you examples of what I'm talking about. If the feeder completely disappears it's most likely a raccoon, bear or squirrel, depending on what kind of wildlife you have roaming around. Your only alternatives to that problem are to hang them where they can't be reached, bring them in before nightfall and put them back in the morning or take them down altogether.

Val.......avid birder with lots of feeders

You were just passing along what info your BIL told you. I wasn't taking pot shots at the messenger :) That information came from the USDA site, among others, and was passed along in my birding newsgroup quite awhile ago when one of our members had a neighbor try to sue him for the invasive infestation of thistles spreading on the neighbor's property. Because of documented, credible research he obviously didn't win the law suit. IF you could ever get that seed to sprout it would look like a sunflower plant, not a thistle. The chances of it germinating in gardens in the US is slim to none. The growers who tried this crop as an alternative were in Saskatchewan, California, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan. The Niger seed is

42% oil, great energy source for the birds and yields more oil per ton of seed than the sunflowers grown for oil in this country. You might pass this information on to you BIL. Maybe he could figure out a way to grow Niger and get rich ;)

Val

Well Val, I'll have you know the finches in So. Cal. clearly have better eating habits cause my net bags have never been torn apart.

The >

Hi Jane The Goldfinch (Willow) is the Washington State Bird, and I just love them! I have two feeders in my back yard that I bought from "Wild Birds". The are made of really hard plastic, and are about 2 feet long with several little openings the length of the feeder, and perches for them to stand on. They're really easy to clean, and they are guaranteed for life! If anything breaks or comes loose, etc, "Wild Birds" will replace it. I can fill them with nyjer seed, and it will last for about

2 or 3 days, depending on how much activity is going on. They are indeed, beautiful birds with a joyous song, and I love having them around. I have squirrels, opossum and racoon around but they don't seem to bother the feeders at all. I believe "Wild Birds" is nationwide.

Patti in Seattle

Nah....he's rich enough!!!! Maybe I could try it in my back 1/2 acre. I'll just keep this info in case the comment is ever made again. heheheh...