Birding/Gold Finches

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Expert: Bluebird Bob Walshaw - 5/9/2008


Question
For a few weeks we had 40-60 Gold Finches in our yard eating over 10# of thistle a week from my 2 feeders.  Now I only see 3 or 4.  I couldn't feed them fast enough to keep up with them, and now what has happened to them?  I live in Arkansas on the Oklahoma line about 100 miles from Missouri.  We sould have them all year.  I finally bought a 50# bag to keep up with them and now I can't find them...this is very sad....we miss them.....lot's of blue birds. The finches seem to have disappeared about 2-3 weeks.  Please help.  Thanks

Answer
This is normal and I have the same experience here in NE Oklahoma. As the males get their breeding colors some of them move north to nest and the rest spread out as they need a certain amount of room for a nesting and foraging territory. Also they switch to a lot of insects in their diet as the babies need protein (this is why hummingbirds eat spiders and some insects when raising babies). You mentioned Bluebirds - please send your mailing address to walshaw1@cox.net and i will send you a free 20 page Bluebird book. Bluebird Bob/

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Bluebird Bob Walshaw

Expertise

I can answer almost any question on Eastern Bluebirds and small cavity nesters such as Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, etc. Also general questions on other songbirds. No pet bird questions please.

Experience

I have had a 100+ nestbox trail for more than 20 years, I do a lot of writing, public speaking and educational work in this field. My hands-on Bluebird talks include more than 1000 people each year.

Organizations
Oklahoma Bluebird Society, North American Bluebird Society, National Audubon Society, Oklahoma Audubon Society, Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance

Publications
Bluebird Magazine, Oklahoma Today, Fur-Fish-Game, Birds & Blooms, Nature Society News,Back Woodsman Magazine, Tulsa World, Broken Arrow ledger, Teaching Tolerance magazine,Trappers World, OK Hole Story, Birders World

Education/Credentials
Degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA, Graduate of the Home Study Course in Bird Biology from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Oklahoma Master Naturalist. I am also a pofessional speaker and writer.

Awards and Honors
Chosen as a public speaker for the North American Bluebird Society, Bluebird trail accepted as part of the Transcontinental Bluebird Trail, Chosen as a panel speaker at the 2006 NABS Convention.

Past/Present Clients
Many

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