CHEX TV airdate: Friday Sept. 29th, 2017
Click link to watch this episode online
My guest on this episode of The Garden Gate is Trent University student, Simon Tapper, and we’re talking about the American Goldfinch.
The goldfinch loves the seeds of Echinacea (Purple coneflower), grasses such as Big Blue stem, Rudbeckia (Black eyed susan). They also love Nyger seed and chipped sunflowers offered in backyard bird feeders. Plant these in your garden or offer bird food to attract them to your garden.
Not everyone realizes that the goldfinch (aka canary) may continue to feed in your garden throughout the winter. If you have enough tree cover for them where they can hide during cold winter nights, they may stay! Plant spruce or pine to encourage other birds as well. Goldfinches change colour. Starting in the late summer and into fall they lose their beautiful bright yellow colour and become a dusty olive colour. The black and white bands on their wings are still visible however and can help you to distinguish them from other birds.
Tune in to this episode to learn what food they like, what flowers to offer in your garden and a few other tips.