[birdky] Re: Finches? Go native!
- From: JEswindell@xxxxxxx
- To: jbaker@xxxxxxx, birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 09:52:28 EST
We have lots of visits to sunflowers that grow volunteer from sunflower
feeders and also on Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta or R. fulgida).
John Swindells
Nelson County
In a message dated 11/3/2008 9:33:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jbaker@xxxxxxx writes:
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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