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Goldfinches are gone

16 years ago

Head up, my northern friends. The goldfinches left my part of Texas last week (Montgomery, about an hour north of Houston). Suddenly my feeders are deserted! There are a few stragglers - one little finch who seems to be injured and has a hard time flying, a couple of others who look okay but didn't migrate.

Now what do I do with all this thistle seed?

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Comments (8)

kendra2003
16 years ago
While I have Goldfinches year round, that might explain why I'm suddenly inundated with them. The weather has been awful here in MA. We've had bucketloads of rain and wind. The poor little things are out there looking absolutely soaked. I'm counting between 36 and 46 soaked little Goldfinches at my feeders at any given time.
Elly_NJ
16 years ago
Thank you, Texas :)
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SK, great little vid! It clearly shows one of the things I find most endearing about titmice. Their tiny beaks aren't strong enough to crack a sunflower seed like a cardinal does, so they tend to take the seeds one at a time to a nearby branch, hold them between their feet and hammer away at them until the seed cracks open and they can get the meat. So cute! Scott, the goldfinches can show up in your yard at various times, since their migration back north can be affected by weather and other factors. The easiest thing to do is keep plenty of regular birdseed mixes (heavy on black oiler sunflower seeds) in your feeders and watch for them. When you see a few at the feeder, you can hang out your thistle socks for them. (They will readily eat normal seed mixes, though they love thistle the best.) They will often spend such a long time in my yard that I get to watch them molt into their breeding plumage. They arrive gray and black, begin to get yellow spots here and there, and then leave bright canary yellow and black. It's really neat. Good luck! Marcia
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Pretty grey fox, Claire. Also I keep going back to look at those charming photos of the fox mom and kits, Jane. I miss the family of red foxes that used to have a den in the woods just above our property line. The puppies (I know they are kits, but I call them puppies) used to chase each other in circles and wrestle one another in the corner of the meadow. We loved to watch them. This little fellow came out of the garden I where I was working, and then scooted across the lawn back to his hiding place when it saw me. These aren't exactly wildlife, but they are creatures in the (water) garden. They are doing the happy fin and tail dance, glad to be out of their tub in the cellar for the summer. I wonder if frogs will join them this year. The brook is fairly low, so they may come looking for better water.
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Comments (18)
First, the PNW is not exactly a "snowy area" :-) We can get occasional snowstorms but they are not all that common. Some years there is not a hint of snow. And overall, we live in a pretty mild winter climate so food sources - other than feeders - remain present. And that is probably more critical to their winter survival up north than are cold temperatures. Hummers are able to withstand well below freezing temps as long as there is plenty of food. They enter a semi-hibernation state at night called torpor which reduces their metabolism significantly, allowing both a substantial drop in heartbeat and body temperature, allowing them to be better able to withstand cold. But they need food when they wake up with the daylight. Fortunately, we have both plenty of insects in winter as well as quite a few nectar-bearing and winter flowering plants. And I keep the feeder going all winter long as well, as much for my entertainment as for their benefit :-)
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whatsthepoint
16 years ago
I'd be throwing the seed in my freezer for when they come back.
springlady
Original Author
16 years ago
Good idea about the freezer, I'll do it since I have almost a full bag. BTW, I have the wounded goldfinch in a box...it has no tail. Do tail feathers grow back?

If she survives the night I'll get her a cage and try to nurse her along but honestly, I don't think she'll make it. Survival of the fittest is harsh.
dzyg
16 years ago
Hmm, never knew they migrated as here in WI we have them year round. We had a flock of about 30 this Winter.

Donna
paulsiu
16 years ago
I am in IL and I think mines are here all year around. they haven't been coming to the feeder as much since the weather has improved. I just use the nyjer seeds on the ground feeder. The other birds like them but the squirrels do not, which means it actually managed to last the day without rodents eating it all.
whatsthepoint
16 years ago
Do you have a wildlife center near you or a bird sanctuary? Maybe your animal control officer can point you in the right direction if you catch the bird.
jannd
16 years ago
I'm in Northern Calif. and I have goldfinches mostly in winter and spring. I'm still getting at least a dozen a day on my sock feeders, down from maybe 15-20 per day a month ago, but still many.

Jann

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