A little over six months ago I wrote that a goldfinch showed up, the first I remember seeing since we moved here about 15 years ago. Now, I see numerous finches everyday which I attribute to a change in the style of bird feeder and a change in the seed mix.
Our old-style feed could accommodate six birds at a time. Although intended for small birds, Stellar Jays and Acorn woodpeckers learned to bend themselves into a C-shape so they could hold onto a perch and get into the seed. Squirrels also learned some acrobatics that included hanging upside down and biting the plastic perches to enable the seed to spill out.
I started shopping at the Los Gatos Birdwatchers store where I discovered a bird feeder that was squirrel and large bird proof. The feeding area is enclosed with a cage and the perches and seed holes are metal. It works.
It took a few days for the small birds--goldfinch, purple finch, titmouse, junco, and sparrows--to figure out how to get into the cage. Some fly to the cage, stop on a wire, and then proceed in. Others have learned to fly directly into the cage, pulling in their wings at the last moment to avoid a collision. While they are eating, the small birds don't need to worry about sparrow hawks eating them or larger birds or squirrels trying to muscle their way in.
Los Gatos Birdwatchers has a mix called Songbird Select, which attracts finches and other singing birds. It seems to be working. I've seen as many as six goldfinches feeding at any one time. In the comping months, I'll find out whether they stay year round or are migrators.
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