American Goldfinches are one of the most desired birdfeeder species. Don shows homeowners how to attract beautiful American Goldfinches, as well as House Finches, Purple Finches, and other varieties with feeders and landscaping. The Stokes offer a closer look at mammals that visit the bird garden such as chipmunks, and foxes; then, it's off to California to see the Western Bluebird trail of "bluebirder" Don Yoder—right on the golf course of his retirement community. Lillian shows viewers how to mount a window bird feeder. Finally, the Stokes offer a quiet time-out to watch the unusual White Ibis.
How-To: Attracting Goldfinches
The best way to attract goldfinches and other finches is to put out thistle seed in bird feeders. Make sure you use thistle feeders that have tiny holes to dispense the seed. Since goldfinches like to feed in flocks, try more than one thistle feeder. Goldfinches also will come to sunflower seed, but the advantage of thistle is that not that many other bird species eat it, so the goldfinches have less competition for the seed. Thistle (also called nyjer) is an imported seed and is not the seed of the native wildflower.
People and Birds: A Western Bluebird Trail
Don and Lillian visited the Western Bluebird Trail of Don Yoder, a dedicated bluebird enthusiast who is part of the California Bluebird Recovery Program. His trail consists of 97 bluebird boxes set out on the golf course of his retirement community. He carefully monitors his boxes and records the bluebirds' nesting data which is sent to the North American Bluebird Society, the national organization that supports bluebird conservation in North America. Don Yoder's trail is part of a nationwide network of trails called the Transcontinental Bluebird Trail. For more information on bluebirds; contact the North American Bluebird Society at www.nabluebirdsociety.org.
