[birdky] Finches? Go native!
- From: "Baker, Jannine M" <jbaker@xxxxxxx>
- To: "birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 09:33:20 -0500
To everyone who wants more goldfinches: I strongly recommend getting as many
native plants in your yards as possible! I've observed that the goldfinches in
my yard (an older neighborhood in Lexington) appear in early-midsummer and
start feeding on the just ripening seeds of bee balm. They then move to the
gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) and cut-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia
laciniata) as their seeds ripen. By that time the purple coneflower is blooming
and starting to form seed, which they devour. They definitely prefer the fresh
seedheads over the older, drier seedheads at this point. The thistle feeders I
have up during the summer are pretty much ignored in favor of the plant seeds.
As a result of having all their favorites, the finches breed in the immediate
area and I have been inundated with young ones for the past several years!
Right now, they favor the thistle feeders over the coneflower- maybe the
drought has caused its seed to be too dry compared to fresh thistle?- and I
notice that on a pole where I have a regular tube thistle feeder and a "sock"
feeder, they definitely prefer clinging to the latter, practically ignoring the
former! The plants I mentioned are just a few of many that will help draw more
finches to your yard. To get even more species to your yard, plant more
natives, from perennials to shrubs, to trees- you'll be amazed what will be
drawn in! Here are a couple of sites you might want to check out:
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/nativegardening/index.shtml
http://www.for-wild.org/
Jannine Baker
Lexington
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