Unique Birdhouse Boutique

If you’re lucky enough to have lots of finches in your backyard, you may be forever filling the nyjer feeder. And now that many young chicks are visiting these feeders too, the the nyjer (or thistle) seed may be going even faster than in the beginning of summer..

To the rescue: a Large Capacity Nyjer Feeder with quality construction to last for many seasons of use and enjoyment. This Deluxe Triple Tube Feeder actually holds seven pounds of thistle seed..and that’s a lot of thistle!

Goldfinches and others will frequent a birdbath if offered. This kind of fresh water source is known to entice and attract more feathered friends than any feeders or houses alone.

Remember when their bright plumage fades, Goldfinches will still be around, so be sure to keep nyjer feeders up and filled with fresh seed throughout the year.

…Happy Birding!

The Wild Canary, aptly nicknamed for their vibrant summer plumage are out and about in droves this time of year. With electric yellow feathers, they’re pretty hard to miss.

One of North America’s favorite songbirds, the American Goldfinches’ nesting season is now winding down, and tons of babies and adults populate the yards of those who have finch feeders. Preferring nyjer, (or thistle seed) it is fed to babies almost exclusively.

With their gentle nature and very sweet character, Goldfinches are not the kind to fight at crowded finch feeders. They will usually just give up and fly away. There’s an easy and effective way to accommodate more birds without having to buy costly feeders. Thistle Socks, or bags are the perfect way to offer more feeding space to these sweet birds.

The mesh bags usually have a draw cord for closure and hanging. They’re refillable and birds really love them! Generally in white nylon mesh, there are variations like holiday-themed finch feeders, and the newer ones are available in black, which offers a striking contrast with goldfinches color.

Remember to leave finch feeders out year-round, as these birds will overwinter locally. Their plumage fades a bit to a dull, olive-drab color in winter, but you can bet on that fabulous, bold yellow hue come warmer months!

Goldfinches, Indigo Buntings, Purple Finches and others are a welcome addition to any yard or garden — these colorful birds will flock to a finch bird feeder if you are lucky, and chow down on thistle for long periods of time. Pecking one tiny seed at a time makes it easy to observe them.

This food has added benefits; squirrels ignore it, and it is not germinating which means that spilled food won’t turn into weeds. But what if you’re not lucky enough to have enough finches to eat all of the food on a regular basis? The thistle, or nyjer seed can clump when it gets damp, and the attraction for our feathered friends will quickly fade.

Here’s a trick to keep thistle bird feeders fresher longer: Place a few inexpensive ping pong balls inside your feeder. The thistle seed is very fine, so it flows around the ping pong balls and is available to the birds. The balls will take up space in the feeder, reducing the amount of food it holds, while allowing an even distribution for more feeding space. The result: less food in the feeder means less clumping and fresher food. You can add or remove balls until you get the right balance of food and space for your feeder and your habitat.

With their nesting season winding down, Goldfinches abound! Their electric yellow plumage is hard to miss. Adults feed babies thistle, or nyjer seed exclusively, so large capacity or extra thistle feeders are very helpful this time of year. Even those convenient thistle socks or bags, are an excellent way to accommodate all the newcomers.

Because of their sweet nature, Goldfinches will usually just give up and fly off rather than fight at crowded thistle feeders. A fresh water source such as a bird bath is also very enticing to all songbirds, and with moving water like the dripper shown here, birds will be flocking to your yard!

Remember to keep thistle feeders out year round to enjoy these vibrant summer colors. Goldfinches’ plumage will start to fade in the fall when they molt, but the same cheery birds will hang around your yard if offered thistle seed on a consistent basis.

Happy Birding!

The backyard and wonderful wildlife habitat is under attack from the worst spell of starlings right now. They eat EVERYTHING in site and bully the songbirds. The mess they leave is not nice either. Starlings are non-native birds, I wish they’d go back from where they came!

It is the thistle feeder and hummingbird feeders that are safe, that’s it. Of about 15 assorted feeders, the nyjer bird feeder is the only seed feeder they’ll leave alone. Three hummingbird feeders are starling-free as well. They just about empty the birdbaths everyday too with their splashing around. I even witnessed one trying to stuff himself inside the bluebird feeder, reaching for worms and grabbing a few with his body half in and half out of the feeder!

Thistle or nyjer seed is wonderful with its many benefits. Squirrels don’t like it either, and tend to leave feeders alone. This seed is non-germinating and won’t cause weeds to pop up below the feeder.

And I’m not just ranting because of them in my yard, these birds wreak havoc with air traffic control towers and the airline industry, causing thousands of dollars (if not more) in damages every year. They’re even responsible for a few plane crashes.

Non-native birds go home!

Because American Goldfinches have such a sweet disposition, they’d rather just give up and fly away than compete at nyjer feeders. With their breeding season just about to start, you can bet feeders will be crowded soon. Fledglings pretty much eat nyjer exclusively, so parents will be chowing down!

Adding a few thistle socks will help keep up with demand at this busy time of year. These nyjer feeders are inexpensive and very convenient when compared to most feeders, and some improvements have even been made to this old favorite.

The black thistle sock shown here has a stronger mesh which gives the feeder longer life. The draw cord at top keeps seed and feeder more secure. The cool thing is the black color because Goldfinches vibrant lemon yellow plumage gives a great contrast against the black sock. They really do to show up better – for a better bird watching experience. The thistle socks are available in several weight capacities, they really do make for great nyjer feeders!

Traditionally, nyjer or thistle seed has preyty much been confined to the tube feeder…but it doesn’t have to be. Nowhere is it written in stone that nyjer bird feeders must be tubular in design!

And here’s one I don’t really understand: caged nyjer feeders. Not many larger birds enjoy thistle seed. Right now there’s a spell (brief I can only hope) of the peskiest starlings in my yard and they don’t go near the nyjer bird feeder. Squirrels don’t like either, and that’s one of the beauties of feeding this non-germinating seed.

The stained glass and copper bird feeder shown here holds approximately 5 pounds of nyjer seed, which is a generous capacity. And unlike tube feeders, there’s never any clumping, damp seed at the bottom to be tossed and wasted. This feeder is hand made and absolutely gorgeous! The wooden Songbird Lanterns are stylish Nyjer Bird Feeders with modern architectural appeal. The attached pine cone even serves as an extra treat when suet is added to it.

Ditch the tubes if you’re looking for something truly unique, with quality that will last for years. Nyjer Bird Feeders make wonderful gifts for any backyard birder or nature enthusiast…for any occasion! A gift to be used daily, that gives back to nature, and is enjoyed by birds and their hosts alike. Never any worries of re-gifting with a high quality bird feeder!

Some of the new backyard birding products are great, and some…well, not so great.

This Finch Bird Feeder by BirdsChoice is definitely one of the great ones! A new design for feeding thistle (or nyjer seed) has arrived. A patented material called magnet mesh attracts more birds to cling to the feeder. Unlike other finch feeders in the traditional tube style, this one allows for “all-over” perching for more birds to feed at once.

With it’s recycled bright yellow frame, the rectangular shape allows for even seed distribution. The difference being no seed clumping at the bottom to become moldy and wasted.  Constructed of durable poly lumber, and polyester powder coated black screen, this unique finch bird feeder comes with a lifetime guarantee. The smaller version shown here holds 1.5-quarts of thistle seed, while the large feeder has a 3-quart capacity.

When Goldfinches’ colors fade in late fall, it’s best to leave feeders out year-round for them. They’re still around, sans the vibrant plumage. Leaving your finch feeders out year round pretty much guarantees that fantastic vibrant summer plumage. Since Goldfinches are also one of the last birds to breed, hanging nesting material in your yard will entice them to stick around.

Unlike hummingbird or fruit feeders for migratory and some songbirds, finch bird feeders are a welcome addition to any garden or yard virtually year-round. You’ll be graced with the most gorgeous lemon yellow plumage in warmer months, only because Goldfinches are one of the few birds experiencing two molts per year. They’ve even earned the nickname “wild canary”.

These colorful birds flock to finch bird feeders and chow down on thistle!  In fact, they eat it almost exclusively and nestlings are fed the same. This food has added benefits; squirrels ignore it, and it is non-germinating which means that spilled food won’t turn into weeds.

Some of the longer tube feeders can cause problems with clumping, damp food at the bottom. If your feeder is not busy enough to have finches eat all of the thistle, (also called nyjer seed) on a regular basis, it can clump when it gets damp, molds and turns rancid. Then the attraction for our feathered friends will quickly fade. A feeder that distributes seed more evenly is one solution to this problem. The Finches Favorite 3-Tube feeder is a perfect example of this practice. Plus you can see all 24 birds eating at once, which is a truly spectacular site!

You can also try working with your existing feeder to alleviate this problem, Something I have tried is buying a few inexpensive ping pong balls and putting them inside my finch feeder. The thistle is fine, so it flows around the ping pong balls and is available to the birds. But the balls take up space in the feeder, reducing the amount of food it holds. The result: less food in the feeder means less clumping and fresher food. You can add or remove balls until you get the right balance of food and space for your feeder and your habitat.

Happy Birding!

Now say that five times real fast!

Goldfinches aren’t the only birds who will feast on thistle seed or finch mixes. You’re likely to see House and Purple Finches, Eastern Towhees, Juncos, Pine Siskins and Indigo Buntings at finch feeders if they’re native to the area.

With warmer months upon us, the payoff for keeping our finch feeders out year round shows. The brightest lemon yellow birds ever, grace the yards of those who offer thistle or nyjer seed to these sweet-natured birds.

They’re also the one of the latest birds to breed, so if you haven’t gotten any nesting material up yet, there’s still plenty of time. When other birds are finished their breeding season, Goldfinches start – late June to early July.

As always, offering a daily fresh water source will greatly increase the number of birds, as well as species seen in your yard. Birdbaths are an excellent attractor for any birds!