BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Birding Simple draw for Goldfinches

This Spring DH and I didn't mow the acre out front til after the dandelions had gone to seed. One day when I walked to the mailbox I saw a half dozen goldfinches and a couple of Indigo Buntings tearing up the seedheads with more gusto than I woud have imagined such tiny birds could manage. On the way back from the mailbox, one of the goldfinches sat at my very small birdbath and sang! WE held off on hte mowing til after the seedheads were all gone. I've seen a bright male several times since then, so obviously he decided to stick around!

What a wonderful idea. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who will leave the occasional thistle plant growing in the garden for the benefit of the finches.

I've also learned that they will help themselves to the seedheads of sunflowers grown along a fence for summer privacy.

Sunflowers are a great finch project, they plant them and then harvest them, I try to leave them where they sprout. I get to enjoy the pretty flowers from the effort of the birds.