Greenfinch feeding on cranesbill seeds

triciakate

Has anyone else had a greenfinch taking the seeds from a cranesbill? I have seen this several times recently, having not seen a greenfinch in our garden since we moved here 5 years ago. It does occasionally go to the seed feeder but clearly prefers the cranesbill.

Ysera27

I've not seen it myself but it wouldn't surprise me. I saw goldfinches taking seeds from lavender for the first time this year. Flocks of hedge sparrows take weed seeds on my next door neighbours drive and front garden. Finches like seeds 😁

triciakate

I will watch out for our goldfinches. So far they seem happy with sunflower seed hearts. Glad to have confirmation about the dunnocks. Our two certainly hop around on the rockery. Anyone that eats weed seeds gets my vote!

bertrand-mabel

Like you @triciakate we haven't seen greenfinches for so many years now and this year not a chaffinch in sight.

Our gold finches do love the knapweeds in the orchard once they have set seed and we large flocks of them.

borgadr

Never seen that, but sounds cool!  I remember late spring the goldfinches completely ignoring my Nyjer seed feeder, preferring to hop around picking at the dandelion seed-heads nearby.

triciakate

We hardly ever get chaffinches in our garden but we do see - and hear - them on our regular walk up the nearby path to our local cemetery. Sounds gloomy but the trees are wonderful and the birds clearly agree with us. There are also several separate robin territories - all staffed. Today we witnessed what may have been a fight to the death as two robins disputed a patch. Eventually my husband walked over to disturb them. When he was about 4 ft. away they noticed him but just flew about 3 yards away and continued scrapping. That's robins for you!

bédé

Surrey.  We used to get dozens of greenfinch at our peanut feeder, in mixed tit and finch flocks in winter.  Now none.  Where have they all gone?

Obelixx

Disease.  There was something going round that killed a lot of greenfinches.  Good to know they are starting to make a comeback.  I've seen just one or two here since we arrived nearly 5 years ago but I've also got chaffinches and I've seen gold finches for the first time this year.

Fairygirl

It's this:

https://nurturing-nature.co.uk/wildlife-garden-videos/greenfinches-fat-finch-disease-trichomonosis-2/
It devastated huge numbers, and they seem to still be a bit thin on the ground in many places.
We don't get many greenfinches visiting as there's too much habitat for them in the surrounding area, but I see them regularly when I'm out. Goldies visit in colder weather - too much grub out in the hedgerows etc for them too, so they don't come in during summer very often. Chaffinches were badly affected by it too. We used to be overrun with them in the garden round the corner, but they're a bit rare in this one. They've started appearing in the last year or two though which is nice.