First 90+ goldfinches arrived and emptied my tube feeders about every 2 days.
Goldfinches usually feed exclusively from the tube feeders, but there were so many birds that the overflow decided to eat seed from my platform feeders instead. I’d never seen goldfinches feeding on my platform feeders before.
The Mourning Doves were not amused by all the new competition:
Then the Red-winged Blackbirds arrived in droves, and they brought their starling cousins with them. The starlings made weird shrieking noises as they fought for space on the peanut feeders.
A pair of Red-winged Blackbirds raised a family in our neighborhood over the summer, and they were always well-behaved at the feeders (especially for members of the blackbird family). But once you get a huge flock together, there is constant fighting and jockeying for positions:
A flock of starlings will devour sunflower seeds and peanuts very quickly, so I took down everything but the Nyger feeders and only put safflower and millet on my platform feeders. The juncos, cardinals and Mourning Doves continued to visit, but most of the starlings disappeared.
The Red-winged Blackbirds, however, must’ve been really hungry, because the flock continued to eat seed from the platform feeders:
Thankfully most of these birds will soon move further south to avoid the chill of winter. That’s good because I can’t afford to fill my feeders every day or so, or I too will be eating birdseed.