Where have my Goldfinches gone?

[Lowry]

Until recently we have had up to a dozen Goldfinches at the feeders, they love the nyjer seeds, however in recent days they have all but disappeared. I have seen only one today. What is the most likely reason for this - the weather, the season - or do we think the worst and think the cats from the neighbourhood farm have seen them off?

[artdemole]

Mine come and go.I think they are all in the hedges feeding young.they do come to the water dish in the evening and some seed.

[Tringa]

I think they are getting well into breeding and the good weather means they depend less on feeders.

The last few weeks the numbers of all birds visiting the feeders in our garden is well down.

Dave

[sunnydale]

Welcome to WAB Lowry

As others have said, your Goldies will be back once the breeding season is over.
Perhaps it's a good time to remove your feeder and give it a good clean, ready for when they need it again.

Tracey

[Elizabeth B]

I usually have to fill up our hanging feeders 2 or 3 times a week (2 each of sunflower hearts and black sunflower seed ) and at the moment i do this less than once a week. I think there must be plenty of natural food around right now, though we've had no rain since the beginning of April.

[aeshna5]

Yesterday 3 Goldfinches were feeding on Dandelion seeds in the croppped lawn outside the BBC at White City. I think they do breed in the small trees here + have seen a small winter roost here.

[rossy]

welcome lowry, dont worry its breeding season, birds pair off and raise familys , they will return , rossy.

[kimmy]

Indeed mine are dwindling now at feeders too and I miss their beautiful singing ......but they are in the fields beside me. They still come now and then for feeding but used to be here all day. I recall last august seeing all their young lined up minus the colourful heads perched on the wire fence of the field beside me full of thistles and all sorts of wild flowers, gorse etc as I walked by. I knew I would be feeding them later in the winter when seeds finally ran out ...... My Redpolls are still coming a lot to the feeders though not quite in the winter numbers.

[KentYeti]

With no decent rain here in Mid Kent since February my feeders are going flat out. Having to fill the one with fat balls, (5 balls at a time), every day at present. Putting a lot of stuff on the grass for the ground feeders as well. That only lasts a very short time.