[Birdtalk] thistle seed socks

[Kristin Purdy]

I've had mixed results with thistle socks and success seems to be based on color. The mesh of my black thistle sock is stiff and the birds seem to have trouble extracting seeds from it. I had to top off the sock (an 18-incher) only once during the whole winter. During that time I had to refill the same size white sock, a stretchy one, many times. I replaced the black sock with a white one about two weeks ago and I've already had to top it off twice.

The thistle seed eaters much prefer the socks to the tube feeder that requires them to hang upside down to reach the feeding ports. Lesser Goldfinches, the least aggressive thistle seed eater, get relegated to the tube feeder when the noisy and aggressive throngs of goldfinches and siskins take over the socks. 

I continue to have a good number of both American and Lesser Goldfinches, and a few Pine Siskins as recently as a week ago.

Kris
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Coleman 
  To: Roostertael at aol.com ; birdtalk at utahbirds.org 
  Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 9:04 AM
  Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] thistle seed socks


  I got three new socks at the Wild Bird Center in Layton last fall, they have been up all winter and I have had more Goldfinches this year than ever before and they are still coming. Interestingly the Juncos fed on them all winter too, while I have always had a lot of Juncos they have always fed on the ground this was the fist time I had them go to feeders. The mesh on these socks is actually bigger than the ones that I replaced that I bought two years ago.

  Steve

  >>> <Roostertael at aol.com> 3/26/2007 8:50 AM >>>

  Hi,

  If anyone else is wondering why you don't have many goldfinches, and you are using the newer long socks with the American Goldfinch or the flower printed on them, the birds have trouble getting the seeds out. I dug out a couple of old long socks that have a little larger mesh and material that will stretch and got the finches back. In fact I still have a dozen lesser and about thirty American Goldfinches. Lots for this late in the year. The American Goldfinches like sunflower chips, and that is what kept them here until I put the old socks out. Maybe advice for next year. 

  Jack Binch






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