Hi JD, I don't think you did anything wrong. I don't think it matters which feeder you have so long as they like the stuff inside. They love Thistle (Nyjer) seed, and they love BOSS. (Black Oil Sunflower Seed) They come and go in my yard. Some times of year, I am inundated with them, and other times I have none. You and I both live in areas where they are supposedly found year round, but I can tell you that you won't find them in my yard year round. I have heard some people say that their Goldfinches preferred one brand of thistle seed to another. Did you change brands? I don't think a little rain is the cause. JMHO.

I struggle with the "where are the goldfinches today" question as well. I did however clean out a feeder that had gotten water in it after rain. The seed inside was indeed nasty. My tube feeder like yours seems unaffected.

THanks folks.
After a two weeks of MANY gold finches at my feeder, a week of rain w/ no Gold Finches and now still not one!?!?
I'm still curious if that cheap tube feeder didn't allow the nijer seed to get wet and nasty. I have noticed condensation build up on the inside of the tube. I'll dry it out and change the seed to see if that does any good. I'll let you know.
Thanks again.
JD

Goldfinches come and go here. They'll be around for 3-4 weeks and then just after I negotiate a loan to buy a new sack of nyger they take off for parts unknown.

LOL Bob! That stuff is indeed pricey!

Yes, but it's the only thing they'll eat at my house. My nyger feeders and BOSS feeders hang side by side and I've never seen a Goldfinch on the BOSS feeders.

Hey bob414, that's all they eat at my house because I am too stingy to buy them the thistle! My BOSS feeders are covered with them. They especially love it when I splurge and put out Sunflower chips or hearts tho!~~Angie

They love the chips here also but even if I don't have the nyger feeder out they still do not use the BOSS feeders.

{{!gwi}}

Pretty pic Bob! Isn't it odd that the same species of bird can behave so differently from one area to another? You just never know what they will do. I have Bluebirds that regularly come to my seed feeders for Sunflower chips right now. So odd.~~Angie

Gold finches love thistle, but hate wet and/or moldy thistle. Here in the PNW my thistle feeders were continually wet, and a lot of seed was wasted. I finally bought a clear plastic dome that fits over the handle and partway down the thistle tube - finally dry seed. They eat the entire tube. I'm actually amazed that is works, but it does.

Question - does seed go bad? I purchased a BIG bag of Nyjer but it's now a couple years old. I have a metal mess tube and have 4 little guys eating daily - will BOSS be eatable threw that mess if I mixed it?

Finches are pretty common here in NE CT. They love nyger seed (thistle)which can be pricey but worth it if you want to attract finches and many other birds who love it too! Soggy bird seed isn't really good for any birds...it can mold easily and actually hurt the birds. The feeders that are specifically made as thistle feeders - usually clear plastic tubes with just the small slits in them to allow the birds to eat the seeds out of the tube - are the best. The finches crowd around them and are quite comical in how they squabble for the best perch.
Jams

Sometimes I let my lavendar flowers dry and go to seed on the plants. The goldfinches go nuts over them. However, some years they come, and some years they don't.

Hi, I made the mistake of putting out niger seed out for the goldfinches this spring that I purchased last fall and overwintered (unopened). From what I have read the goldfinches seem to be very picky about this, and once they sampled, decided that they did not like it and have not returned. I have seen a few of them at the platform feeder dining on sunflower, but not at the tube feeder. After I found out that they do not like the old seed, I cleaned out the feeder and put in fresh seed that I just purchased. I just did this yesterday. My question is, will they return to the tube feeder now that the fresh seed is there, or have I lost them for this summer?