Do you have many squirrels or other wildlife (deer, opossum, ...) in your area? If so, there's a good chance some of them are behind the crape myrtle trimming. Squirrels eat or experiment with all sorts of things, especially during the intervals between their primary fruit and nut foods. They remove several flowering tips from our crape myrtles every year... as well as an occasional bedding plant, turf runners, and small branches or bark from other trees. Some birds do eat the seeds, though they don't seem to be a favorite with our year-round locals while alternatives are still available. Sorry you're living with the frustration of stuff disappearing from your property. A security camera could help figure it out, just be sure to get one with good low light capability in case the "critters" causing your losses are nocturnal. At least your young resilient CMs should be fine. Here is a link that might be useful: Goldfinch and crape myrtle seed

I don't know anything about seeds from cannas but I can send you some tuber from yellow with spots and some coral colored ones... How do you get seeds from them. I have never raised bird of paradise.. Just researching now. My email is sharobuck@yahoo.com if you would like to trade for tubers.

I am having the same problem with the seed not dropping down. As I live in the NW I asssumed that the seed was becoming wet. i have a dome over the feeder and it still gets stuck. i become frustrated as well at continually having to move the seed down manually. I have noticed that is the seed that is next to the wall of the feeder is what becomes stuck. It is suggested that the plastic wall has becomes rough and is not allowing passage of the seed to move. I have tried scrubbing the feeder and the equipment with soapy water and bleach with a thourough washing afterward to no avIl! Mary Keith

bump.