Bird feeders: finches eating pansies & beheading clematis,

last year

So, I got a thistle/Nyjer seed sock for small birds and hung in it my balcony. The house finches have taken to it in a big way and the only other visitor is an occasional red winged black bird. The flipside of having a Feeder in my 15x5' balcony is that they are nibbling on the pansies in the railing planters, beheading new shoots on clematis, eating up or clipping away kalanchoe flowers and buds. There may be other damage that I haven't yet discovered. There is also the constant littering of seeds on the balcony. I had the sock hanging from the railing but then the folks in the condo below complained of seed and bid poop so I had to move it onto the balcony. My questions: are the finches going to keep being hostile to my flower garden so I have to choose between the birds or the flowers? If I modify to a different bird Feeder than the sock, would the litter/spillage of seeds reduce significantly?

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Comments (4)

claire c
last year
For the problem of the mess left behind with seeds only use shelled/hulled seed often labeled "no Waste". We have a niger feeder too but it's in a part of our yard where what falls to the ground doesn't matter. Also Niger seed will sterilize the ground where it falls. The hummingbirds are on their way to NJ right now. Maybe consider these seedless feeders for your balcony. They are a delight to watch.
getgoing100_7b_nj thanked claire c
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
I also have a Hummingbird Feeder up for 2/3 weeks already and I would have sworn some feed was consumed early on one day but no luck since. I got an 8 lb niger bag with only a third consumed so..
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
Do you put out water? Maybe they’re looking for moisture. As to the nyjer, could you hang it so the spills go onto your balcony floor and not over the railing to the people below? Or rig up some sort of tray?
getgoing100_7b_nj thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
I haven't put out water but there are large water bodies all around -several golf course water bodies, the new york bay and a spillover water body/lake.. Should I be providing water? I have moved the nyjer on to the balcony and away from the edge. I had attached a small tray to the sock and I have rigged a further bigger styrofoam tray under it. It appears to have made the feeder less popular, only one of the house finches was faithfully sticking to it and the spillage was minimal but we shall see.

Bird feeders: finches eating pansies & beheading clematis,

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claire c

getgoing100_7b_nj
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Bird feeders: finches eating pansies & beheading clematis,

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claire c

getgoing100_7b_njOriginal Author

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