Oh Where, Oh Where, Have the Finches Gone???

Are you a bird-watching family?
We certainly are here. Have been for years.

Our family favorites are the hummingbirds. Those little guys seem to make their first appearance here every year during the last week of April, with all the regularity of the buzzards returning to Hinckley, Ohio and the swallows returning to Capistrano. I try to make sure I have their feeder filled, ready and waiting for them.

We also share our yard with a flock of purple martins that entertain The Husband when he's mowing the grass. As the mower stirs up the bugs in the yard, they'll swoop and dive-bomb the insects. He calls it his "air show." We feel blessed to have them here, because they can be difficult to attract. But, with our large, open yard, situated near a pond with a decent tree-line, we've not had any problems getting them to call our place home.

This year, however, we're missing our friendly goldfinch population.
I'm not sure what's going on. I've seen all of one--and he was sitting on the hummingbird feeder perch. (Think he was a little confused??)
The best thing about feeding goldfinches is their habit of feeding upside down. They like thistle seed, and will hang upside down to eat. (Don't ask me how they swallow.) When the girls were very small, this always elicited giggles just watching.

The good news is:  With their specially designed feeders, other, less appealing birds (and pesky squirrels!) can't figure out how to access the goods.

Anyway, I'm wondering if the gold guys are mad at me or something. Maybe boycotting.
You see, our feeder broke a few months ago, and I was a bit of a slacker in getting it replaced.

That's one reason I was so glad when Perky Pet offered me a bird feeder to review. I gladly selected their Birdscapes Upside Down Goldfinch Feeder.

I have to say, this one is much prettier than our old one, with the decorative metal top and base. It fills easily, with a great locking latch on the top that allows the cover to slide up and down for easy filling. And, it's secure enough that those annoying squirrel-thieves (which, I've already caught scoping out the food) can't knock it open.

I have seen evidence that some kind of bird has been there.

I just haven't seen any of our finches.

So, we're giving up on the front yard, and moving it back to the back of the house. (Downside:  We can't watch it while we eat dinner.)

If you are interested in getting started in birding, and want to learn more, I'd highly recommend checking out the online resources at Perky Pet's Learning Center.

Another way to get started is to head over to the Real Farmwives of America & Friends Blog and sign up to win a Copper Triple Tube Bird Feeder!

Perky Pet did provide me with this product to review, however the thoughts and opinions shared about this product on this blog are my own.