Hi, June. I've never had much seed loss from the socks, oddly enough. They really are so cheap and easy to keep during our brief goldfinch season that I almost always use them. I've gone through three of them this spring, but now I'm down to just two goldfinches and they are feeding mostly on sunflower seed at the tray feeder. I do have one screened in thistle seed feeder, but the birds didn't seem to like it as much as the sock. I've thought about getting one like you linked to, but never bothered with the extra expense, since the goldfinches are only here for 3 or 4 weeks before heading back north. They come through in the fall, too, but not for as long. No matter which style feeder used, they do LOVE those thistle seeds, and it is so worth putting out for them. I had males this year completely colored up, solid brilliant yellow with black wings and cap, by the time they left. They were breathtaking. (Not my photo, btw) One thing, though...I didn't see a single bunting this year. Last year, I had indigos almost every day, and two painted buntings for about a week or 10 days. I also had a rose-breasted grosbeak one day, and a blue grosbeak once. So far, none of them has shown up this year, sniff! My catbird is still here and still eating seeds, but the myrtle warbler has finally figured out that he isn't supposed to be a seed eater and has gone off to find the rest of his flock. The garden is so much the richer for these wonderful creatures I share it with. They make my heart happy, and I hope to find more and more plants and flowers that will help bring them in. Marcia

I got curious enough that I looked for myself. I know nothing about this site, but it looks legitimate enough. If you do a google search are "goldfinch nectar" there are more hits, but the 6 or others I looked at didn't apply, and I stopped looking. Maybe you'll find more. Here is a link that might be useful: Believe it's tied to University of New Mexico

Offer a large variety of food mixes. I have tons of goldfinches and they like the thistle first, followed by sunflower. I also mix in finch mixes sold for caged finches. Fruit and nut mixes are liked by all, and plenty of suet for the woodpeckers, wrens, bluebirds, nuthatches, and brown creepers. Water is important as well as nearby cover. I have two ponds and 3 birdbaths (heated). You will get more bluebirds if you put out chopped raisons and grubs. You can buy seed mixes that have dried beetles in the mix. I also hang out slices of apples/pears/oranges, and hang clusters of grapes in the shrubs for the winter fruit eaters here. Bananas are also liked. The feeders I like best are open cages so the seed does not stay wet after rain, followed by tube feeders with big covers, and also use thistle socks which are standing room only. They dry out fairly well except sometimes at the bottom. You can also lay seed out along a fence if you have one, and throw some on the ground. You can make a simple platform feeder with a picture frame and a piece of screen. A large variety of food presented at different levels and feeder types will attrack a greater variety of birds. It helps too if you have woods nearby or a thickly planted wild area with berry type plants, and don't forget thick evergreens for cover. I feed year round so birds don't have to find the location. They know it well, as do various hawks that come for the smaller birds and squirrels. Just give it time and once they find it don't let more than a day or two go by where the feeders are empty or they will leave again. CT

A few weeks ago when I went to buy more nyger seed, they were all out, so I bought some 'finch mix'. I have two finch feeders, side by side, so I transferred what was left of the nyger seed into one of the feeders, and filled the other with 'finch mix'. The goldfinches clearly preferred the nyger. Jim