Sparrows on Niger Seed?!

[nightshade]

I never had many takers with Niger, but they love sunflower hearts and occasionally mixed seed.

[actionfinch]

I brought a nice new niger feeder last week , no goldies and no sparrows on it... gave me food for thought mind ill have to keep an eye out to see if they fancy a change.

[jaelen]

Originally Posted by tigertom

Not just sparrows it seems like niger spotted tihs woody this morning perched on full seed tray leaning across to get at niger feeder

MIKE

That makes me laugh... a few weeks ago our feeder was hanging from a branch that was near a thin, springy one. The wood pigeon would land on the springy branch, and go BOUNCE-BOUNCE-bounce-bounce until the branch steadied enough for him to start eating from the feeder... he'd do it slowly and cautiously so that he didn't make it start wobbling again.

I don't mind them- they warn the other birds when the neighbour's cat is about.

[Cambridgeferret]

I've been having so many problems with an influx of sparrows...they have literally bullied the goldfinches off the nyjer feeders and strip the seed feeder in the space of a day. I counted 20 at a time yesterday. Are there any guards that can keep sparrows out and let the goldfinches in? Or are they too similar in size?

[nightshade]

Why would you want to discriminate, when the Sparrows disappeared from my garden, it took me years to get them back. I would rather have the Sparrow over the Goldfinch BUT I feed both. I feed starlings, Greenfinches, Robins, Crows, Jackdaws, everything!

[tigertom]

Originally Posted by Cambridgeferret

I've been having so many problems with an influx of sparrows...they have literally bullied the goldfinches off the nyjer feeders and strip the seed feeder in the space of a day. I counted 20 at a time yesterday. Are there any guards that can keep sparrows out and let the goldfinches in? Or are they too similar in size?

I have had up to ten sparrows on nyjer seed, but this week goldfinches have been back in numbers. my sparrows have now give up on nyjer and leave to the 15-20 goldfinches they moved back on to mixed seed an fat balls.
the only birds I have seen bully my goldfinches is siskins it seems that my goldfinches will stand up to birds bigger then them but the smaller siskin
MIKE

[Dogghound]

Nationally its sparrows which are struggling and goldfinch which are increasing so sparrows should really be encouraged over goldfinch.

[tigertom]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Nationally its sparrows which are struggling and goldfinch which are increasing so sparrows should really be encouraged over goldfinch.

I agree with that got more sparrows visting my feeding station than I have had in long time now got extra fat balls up for them plus found a seed mix they like so I am putting a lot of that out as well, I am hopeing sparrow stay now and as I do have tree sparrows in park near by hope will get them in at some time as well, I have never had one in the garden yet.
MIKE

[nightshade]

I forgot to say I feed some birds away from the hanging feeder area. Sparrows do like to dine together so setting up a bird table away from the feeders seemed like a good idea, mine is a cheap one with holes through its rather narrow base/legs so it can be pegged down firmly. It is set up near an evergreen climber to give them some Sparrowhawk cover.