The Finches are Back . . .

The little Gold Finches are back.  They are not gold yet, though have some yellow showing.  When they turn more solid gold they migrate to the North away from us.  Right now they are just feeding away on our hanging bags of Niger seed. 

Niger seed is really thistle seed imported from Niger.  I am sure there may be a local source of thistle seed to but I do not know where or what about it.  It is said that fresh seed must be loaded in the feeders but I loaded it up with the stuff from last year and they are chowing down on it.  So I rather doubt that old or older seed is an issue.  Keeping it dry probably helps and this seed was well stored.

We had also bought a 10 pound bag of the seed last year that we did not get around to opening.  It is going to be in the next batch I put out.  I use a funnel and will the porous sacks with the stuff.  The little birds hang on the sacks and feed inverted or straight up as may be.  The mesh is open enough so that the seed, a long narrow seed, sticks through the mesh.  The birds hang on the sack and pull seeds through to eat.

There is a lot of spillage but other birds including Finches will feed off the ground.  And all the activity draws the attention of other birds.  They want in on the action too.  But they are not equipped like the Finches with their talent to hang on the bag and feed.  So they are relegated to feed off the ground.  Saw a beautiful Red bird yesterday.  He was really miffed he could not get on that bag but he got a few seeds off the ground and left.

The flock of Finches feed for a while then for some unknown reason all fly off.  They will be gone for an hour or so, then all of a sudden are back at it.  So they come and go like that all day.  The bags are hanging in our oak tree outside the den window.  There are flitting movements attract my eyes and I stop fiddling with the computer and watch for a while. 

A sure sign we have turned the corner into a new year.  We will have the Finches for about six weeks and then they are gone.  Better feeding to the North and the North is their traditional breeding grounds.  We are told a few stay around but I never see them.  When they change color they leave us.