Where are all the Goldfinches ?

[LCPete]

I havent seen any in the garden (Wrexham North Wales)for ages we normally get loads in the winter but none at all this year

I do have 2 Niger feeders have had them going for quite a few years now and we've always had Goldies all year round
I seem to remember reading that the ones in the UK migrate south in the winter and Goldfinches from colder areas on the continent move here for the winter. Maybee its just our area at the moment that they are thin on the ground, a mystery
Pete

[big bill]

Hello Pete sorry you dont seem to have any Goldies I know how you feel ass I did not have any until this year then they started to vist the garden started with 1 pair now I have about 8 coming into the garden every day so far they empty the niger feeder every day also have a go at the shelled Sunflower seed.
Maybe its just a regional thing or that they have migrated ?

[Gaza]

Hi LCPete

I have also read that about Goldy's
Ours disappeared for a short while. But now they are at our feeders from dawn to dusk. Anything up to 30 at a time.

Costing me a fortune in Nyjer and Sunflower hearts

[LCPete]

Originally Posted by big bill

Hello Pete sorry you dont seem to have any Goldies I know how you feel ass I did not have any until this year then they started to vist the garden started with 1 pair now I have about 8 coming into the garden every day so far they empty the niger feeder every day also have a go at the shelled Sunflower seed.
Maybe its just a regional thing or that they have migrated ?

Hi Bill thanks Probaly is a regional thing, it sounds like yours have a good appetite

Originally Posted by Gaza

Hi LCPete

I have also read that about Goldy's
Ours disappeared for a short while. But now they are at our feeders from dawn to dusk. Anything up to 30 at a time.

Costing me a fortune in Nyjer and Sunflower hearts

Hi gaza thanks
Interesting that yours disappeared and came back, hopefully ours will be back in the spring

[Keith Talbot]

Plenty down here,i'll send some over

[Monkey Orchid]

Half a dozen or so daily in our garden.

[Dogghound]

Its likely that they are feeding in farmland, here we are getting large numbers in wildbird crops, set aside etc. With a few in stubble and decent numbers hanging around field edges in hedges etc. Not many in suburban/urban areas though.

[bob.phillips]

Loads in my garden in Milton Keynes. Almost too many - they are costing me a fortune in food.

Bob P.

[Paul mabbott]

Place I've been at in west Northants there were 6-9 on nyger feeder most of the time.
I must admit that I'm pleased to see them because never once in more than ten years have I seen them in my garden or neighbourhood in Sheffield!
What is also interesting from the Midlands was the dearth of other finches: an occasional pair of chaffinches but no greenfinches and only very briefly a female bullfinch. This was during very bad weather so I doubt they're off feeding in the fields/hedgerows ......

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

This was during very bad weather so I doubt they're off feeding in the fields/hedgerows ......

I do agricultural bird surveys at flamborough and the north east coast and im not saying the whole country is the same although there are large numbers of 40+ birds in some field here. In essence these are farmland birds and wildbird crops, un-sprayed stubble will hold large amounst of seeds for wintering birds not just goldfinch great counts of reed and corn bunting yellowhammer, linnet and very good counts of skylark too. Arable fields hold far more food than backgarden bird feeders. Bad weather here tends to make birds group up here and can bring alot more birds lower and more coastal but not until food is very short towards the end of winter do they disperse. Perhaps just birds in my plots but definately not worth doubting in other parts of Britain.