That's a nice photo,roper. :) A couple of pairs have stayed behind and I'm enjoying them very much, too.

I've found that if I set myself up with my camera on a tripod (and be very quiet) about 15 feet from the thistle feeder, that they will actually tolerate me. :)

Great photo! I saw a couple of those in the flower garden the other day. I don't know what they were eating but I'm willing to share with those beauties.

Great photo - I've yet to get a photo of mine... they flutter and fly away as soon as they hear the least bit of noise of see any movement of me coming - - don't they know I grew the flowers for them? :0/

Carrie

Here's one of the pairs....gosh, they are cute, aren't they?

{{gwi:729275}}

Oh I used to put out niger seed for them . What wonderful photos. I am so glad you posted. I will have to do this next year. Hummers are loving the agastache..they touch almost every bloom before winging away. c

Few years ago I had lots of goldfinches, so many that I bought a 22 perch niger seed feeder and it was 'standing room only, single line, please' most of the time, also had a sock like shown above and had to refill it weekly. But ..... they've become more sparse over the past 2-3 years.

I didn't realize they migrated North, so were probably just passing thru, but stayed longer back then. My 'Birds of the Carolinas' book (author Stan Tekiela) says goldfinches are "becoming less common near the Coast in summer, leaving in April for nothern states". My copy is a 2001 copyright date so that's pretty old news.

That said, I have seen a couple in the past week - they are so pretty, wish they'd hang around!

I just got these birds in my garden this year. I didn't even know they were in the area. I am stupidly excited about them. I need to get some specific food for them like you guys have. Can anyone tell me what they prefer most? So far they are just eating what everyone else is here. -and you wouldn't believe what that is either. LOL

I have them in my yard. They're destroying my cosmos and zinnias. Picking the petals off the flowers trying to get at the seeds which aren't ripe yet.

bluesunflower,
They like thistle seed/niger seed (same thing). OK, now I have to know what they're eating. :)

Pfmastin, LOL, Every morning I mix up a batch of "no mess" seed, squirrel mix and dog food to put out for the birds. There are also several suet cages around. I have tried setting out just the nijer for the finches and they never seemed to take it. I have tried fruits, even oranges for the Western tanagers and raisons. Nope, they come in the back door for the dog food!

What a great picture of that little bird perching on the flowers. I haven't seen any around here lately.

They love the seed heads of the coneflowers. I guess that is why they are not self seeding as much as they used to!