Goldfinch plague!

Mr. Presentable

Maybe plague is the wrong word. I was wondering if it is a widespread phenomenon, where I work in Tallaght there are a lot of goldfinches this year.

In a normal year I might see 4 or five groups through the spring, this year they seem to be everywhere every day.

Also grey herons. There have been a lot of them around Tallaght for years, but again this year I often see 2 0r 3 together scavenging among the gulls.

DominoDub

Strange that ...I was watching a few groups of them along the Canal Baggot Street the other day ..had not seen them in years.

Also some yellow wagtails !

marlin vs

Same here in Waterford city iv'e never seen so many.

Judgement Day

DominoDub wrote: »

Strange that ...I was watching a few groups of them along the Canal Baggot Street the other day ..had not seen them in years.

Also some yellow wagtails !

Grey Wagtails surely?

neil_hosey

Judgement Day wrote: »

Grey Wagtails surely?

id say he's talking about yellow wagtails.. they are less common

Mr. Presentable

neil_hosey wrote: »

id say he's talking about yellow wagtails.. they are less common

Grey wagtail

neil_hosey

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Grey wagtail

i know what a grey wagtail is.. but im saying he's probably refering to a yellow wagtail.. as they are less common!

santasbird

I put up a feeder for Goldfinches late last year. I knew we had finches in the area, had seen them in the local park, but never in my garden. This spring they started visiting my feeder. Its hanging from under the canopy of my garden shed. At one point I counted 15 goldfinches, 4 on the feeder and the rest on the shed roof. Was a lovely sight, I ran to get my camera and as you would have guessed, GONE!

swifts need our help!

goldies have has a fantastic comeback with a many 100s% increase which I think is down to people feeding them in the winter. The same goes for redpolls

During the winter of 2010/11 I had around 200 goldies and 100 redpolls every day.

I used to feed Nyger but it makes a mess in the garden so I switched to sunflower hearts and bought a mini processor to chop them.

I went through two large bags of sunflower hearts

Mabel

My house in Galway has loads of Goldfinches too - just noticed them in the last month or so. I always notice Gldies but it's good to see them doing well

Speaking of Grey Herons OP, I took a trip to Dublin over the weekend and Bull Island was teeming with Herons. Must be this year's youngsters?

V Bull

I've had a pair of goldfinches in the garden for the last while. Then only one for a couple of weeks and low-and-behold, then there were 4. :)

torrentum

V Bull wrote: »

I've had a pair of goldfinches in the garden for the last while. Then only one for a couple of weeks and low-and-behold, then there were 4. :)

Amazing pics!!!!!!

DominoDub

neil_hosey wrote: »

i know what a grey wagtail is.. but im saying he's probably refering to a yellow wagtail.. as they are less common!

It had a Full yellow head unlike the picture but great to learn about the grey thanks !

cscook

How delightful to see the baby goldfinch!!
This is certainly the first time in four years I've seen them at all locally - and since we've had a pair at the feeder a few times I hope it's a sign of more to come.

kincsem

No goldfinches at my feeders for months. At one stage I was getting ten at a time on the feeders.

Kess73

I get two or three at the very most on my nyger feeder, but there is a spot less than a mile from my garden that I often pass when out running that has some of the biggest charms of Goldfinch I have ever seen.

There is always literally dozens of them at that spot and earlier in the season I could see their little nests being built at the ends of branches.


The spot is rich in thistles and other plants with small seeds so a great feeding spot for them no doubt.

I just wish a few more would find my garden.

swifts need our help!

Kess what food do you have for them?

torrentum

Saw my first goldfinch ever yesterday. A fantastic sight. Seen in South Kilkenny.

cscook

Kess73 wrote: »

I get two or three at the very most on my nyger feeder, but there is a spot less than a mile from my garden that I often pass when out running that has some of the biggest charms of Goldfinch I have ever seen.

There is always literally dozens of them at that spot and earlier in the season I could see their little nests being built at the ends of branches.


The spot is rich in thistles and other plants with small seeds so a great feeding spot for them no doubt.

I just wish a few more would find my garden.

We had about a dozen normally frequenting the garden the last place we lived (Donaghmede). One year I left the thistles at the end of the garden especially for them, but the ungrateful things preferred to queue on the washing line for the peanut feeder, and I spent the following year uprooting endless thistle seedlings :rolleyes:.

Kess73

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Kess what food do you have for them?

Have two nyger feeders out for the redpoll and the goldfinch, as well as a seperate feeder with sunflowers hearts and a mixed seed feeder.

kincsem

And they are back here in Stillorgan. Two healthy males on the sunflower feeders taking their time.

santasbird

During the strong winds last week my goldfinch feeder fell and smashed. I bought a new one last week. Its got a little dish attached to the bottom so the seed stays in the dish, not fall to the ground as it usually did. This morning I had 5 baby finches. I'd never seen one before. The colouring is through on the wings but nothing on the head yet. Great to see.

littlebug

I've been seeing huge numbers of goldfinches lately in fields nearby.
lots of thistles too:)

sineadom

I get dozens of goldfinch at my nyger seed feeder each day during winter but they disappear for a couple of months during breeding season. They have returned now (not as many, but plenty - Ive seen up to 10 at a time lately) but I have yet to see a juvenile. Same last year. All adults, no juveniles. Can anyone tell me why this might be?