goldfinches
By Steve
hampshire,
United Kingdom 
not exactly a gardening question, but here goes.....it's taken 2 years to attract goldfinches into our garden , and they are feeding on NIGER SEEDS , unfortunately they are messy feeders and we now have hundreds of seed's now sprouting from our border.if i made a large flat table with a roof above , would they feed from a small dish in the centre , has anyone done this, the table would be about the same hieght as the current feeder.....steve
23 Jul, 2008
Answers
Hi Steve, I don't know if this will help you but I have the same problem, they pull seeds out and a lot of them fall to the ground, so I put a "table" sort of thing, that is actually a top less table with very fine mesh for a top underneath the feeder. They don't always use it but other birds do and when the goldfinches are a crowd some will go to it.
23 Jul, 2008
The niger seed we buy over here does not sprout, as it is heat treated before retailing. You could perhaps try a low oven (120*C) for at least 15 minutes as those are the processing guidelines as per the internet ( Google ' heat treating niger seed' ). I haven't tried it myself as there has been no need, but it may work.
23 Jul, 2008
thanks for the replies, i have just purchased another bag of niger seed from a different source, so i will 'plant' some and see if they sprout, if so i will try the heat treatment recommended on google search.(thanks for the tip gramazoo)...in the mean time i have erected a tray beneath the feeder to try and catch the seed....steve
24 Jul, 2008
Previous question
« Five year old tree will not produce blossom. It has been pruned correctly HELP!
Not sure that they would Steve, normally they feed in flocks,on thistles and dried seed heads, where they perch up the stalk to pick the seeds. If they are used to frequenting your garden maybe you could plant a small area with the type of food they like but who knows you could always try it, you'll get a good selection of all types of birds in the winter!
23 Jul, 2008