Goldfinches

[milkweed]

I was doing some web search on Goldfinches and I found this.

Some Grasses and grass like
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem

Forbs (Wildflowers)
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed
Chamaecrista fasciculata - Partridge Pea
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master
Helianthus grosseserratus - Sawtooth Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides - Ox Eye Sunflower
Ratibida pinnata - Grey-Headed Coneflower
Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba - Brown-eyed Susan
http://http://ohioprairienursery.com/shoppingcart/

I was surprised to see milkweed on the list, so I did some more research. Heres what I found. Cool huh?

American Goldfinches breed later than most North American birds. They wait to nest until June or July when milkweed, thistle, and other plants have produced their fibrous seeds, which goldfinches incorporate into their nests and also feed their young.

http://http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/lifehistory

[biigblueyes]

Nesting material today, snack later.

[benj1]

During the summer I had a patch of Coreopsis lanceolata - Tickseed - near my screened porch. Sitting out there, I observed the goldfinches pulling the petals off the flowers and eating them.

I think we understand only a little of how our feathered friends go about their business, so the more variety we can offer for habitat, the better off they will be.

[gnomenative]

Great info! Thanks for posting. I recently discovered something new about goldfinches around my yard. They are totally devouring my Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover) seeds! I have seen it three times in the last week and am trying to get a picture of it! I had been thinking that my kids were pulling the seed off.
You are right benj1- there is a lot to learn about even our most "common" feathered friends!

[Sage]

Goldfinches are so cute to watch

[will-o-wisp]

I have quite a few goldfinch visitors for the first time this year and their favorite food is the anise hyssop that has reseeded into the cracks along the driveway.
I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I have 6 of the plants and the little bluestem grass on milkweeds list.
Thanks milkweed for the information, especially about them using the fluff from swamp milkweed as nesting material.
It's also interesting to hear what they are attracted to in everyones yard.

[Porterbrook]

Another good species for Goldfinches is Silphium. S. perfoliatum, S. lacinatum, and S. terebinthanaceum are like magnets. I have seen as many thirty Goldfinches feasting on the seeds. They will also occasionally take a short bath in the recesses created by S. perfoliatum (Cup Plant) where the stem perforates the opposite leaves.

[will-o-wisp]

Porterbrook, Is the S. perfoliatum a suitable plant for a small yard?

[Porterbrook]

Silphium perfoliatum can reach a height of 6 to 8'. In a small yard, you could use it as a background plant putting smaller species in front. You could also use it as a centerpiece in a small round garden, again planting smaller species in a tiered effect around it. I like this plant especially because it blooms in summer through early fall, stands erect, and attracts dozens of Goldfinches and numerous butterflies.

[milkweed]

I've heard Silphium perfoliatum are prolific self seeders. Has any one noticed this?