Feeding Finches

We have gone through several bird and finch feeders over the past few years, and the finches seem to prefer these inexpensive plastic ones with the bright yellow openings.

Our weather was gorgeous for several days, so we had the opportunity to sit on our patio and watch them in the evenings. Saturday evening when my mom was over, we counted nine different types of birds. We get four types of finches. Seen in these two photos are a male goldfinch and a purple finch.


Purple finches actually have red heads and sometimes breasts (like this one), but they're classified purple for some reason. It's not unusual for five or six of them to be on this type of feeder at once. We also have the mesh sacks that hand from one of our arbors, but it's too far for me to get photos without them seeing me and flying off.

They can really polish off the thistle seed, I tell ya. And the mourning doves nestle in the grass below the feeders to eat what's fallen from the grass.

The sparrows and other small birds like the suet cakes. Those are hung on the lower branches of the small trees, so they feel safe eating. We have a jelly feeder for orioles and see a male often, but I haven't recognized a female.