Aren't finches messy eaters

[gillwrig]

Just noticed today whilst looking though my bins that teh siskins and goldies are such messy eaters. They pick out a sunflower heart and then chew it with their beaks open - most of it falls out onto the floor.

Aha - I thought I'll put a tray underneath to catch the bits.... did it work ? Not really they apear to have turned the other way on the perch rings and spit it out over the edge of the tray . Do they not know how dear sf hearts are???

Would I be any better with sunflower chips do you think?

As my dad days ... eyes bigger than their stomachs ( whatever that means)

[smartie]

I don't think you'd be better with chips than with whole seeds - they are just very messy eaters and in my experience drop food out of their mouths whatever you give them. The ground feeders usually clear most of it up in my garden.

[gillwrig]

Terrible manners - eating with your beak open!!

[smartie]

You'd think they would have evolved a more efficient method of eating by now.

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

I agree that the goldfinches are messy eaters lol. Our goldfinches seem to work in partnership with the chaffinches and greenfinches, the Goldfinches will fly onto the feeder which has sunflower hearts in it and then all you see is white bits falling to the floor like snow where the waiting chaffinches and greenfinches mop them up. They have a good system in place

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by gillwrig

Just noticed today whilst looking though my bins that teh siskins and goldies are such messy eaters. They pick out a sunflower heart and then chew it with their beaks open - most of it falls out onto the floor.

Aha - I thought I'll put a tray underneath to catch the bits.... did it work ? Not really they apear to have turned the other way on the perch rings and spit it out over the edge of the tray . Do they not know how dear sf hearts are???

Would I be any better with sunflower chips do you think?

As my dad days ... eyes bigger than their stomachs ( whatever that means)

I know exactly what you mean gillrig

I bought a couple of those premium RSPB feeders with the trays as an extra to catch the husks.When the greefinches had been what a mess and it rained and it all went slushy not to mention they used it as a loo as well!!! lol

Ive gone back to using the BIRD TABLE for the time being!

Much more civilised!

[Madelinew]

I find blackbirds to be far messier. They land on the bird table and throw everything off that they're not interested in before picking out their favourite bits. Actually I don't use a table any more as the local rat population was doing rather too well. When it comes to feeders, the starlings make the most mess with the fat balls but I agree about finches.

However, the mess made by this lot now is hoovered up by ground feeders, including the blackbirds who are now earning their keep clearing up BEFORE the rats find the food. Collared doves are my best hooverers.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by Steve_In_Cheshire

I agree that the goldfinches are messy eaters lol.

Happily I can now share that view having very recently acquired two new additions to the garden in the form of Goldfinches chewing with their mouths open! (What a poorly designed bird, they should have bibs like wagtails and wagtails that don't make any mess with their food, have lovely big ones which they don't use)

[Pippa]

I am now in the process of altering my feeding station because the Goldfinches are making such a mess.They chomp on the hearts, dropping most onto the ground.It looks awful so i am going to buy something decorative that can go underneath which i can sweep up.

[gillwrig]

good idea that is pippa! at the moment my poor old palm is catching most of it.

Maybe when my small army of hedgehogs wake up they will do some hoovering for me.