Finchless in Austin?

While wandering through the pet food section of Walmart the other day in search of another 500 pound sack of birdseed (a 3 day supply, I might add), we came across a section of finch feeding stations and seed. We weren't sure if there were finches in this area, but we enjoyed seeing them so much in West Virginia that we invested a whopping 4 bucks for a sack of finch food. That's the sock-looking thing hanging on the right. The way the feeders work there are multiple socks attached to a reservoir of seed and the little birds cling to the socks and feed. In theory.

I did a little Googling and apparently there are several varieties of finch in the region; mostly an un-colorful variety called the house finch, but some other kinds as well. Several mentions of Goldfinches, but the pictures of them looked like a bigger bird that fed conventionally (not hanging upside down). So on that promise Mom hung the sock and we've been waiting patiently since.

We're pretty good at waiting. See the owl shack in the background? It's been there over a year and so far nary an owl. I reduced the rent a couple of times but still no takers. Not that we lack for birds. You see that there is only an inch or two of seed in the regular feeder on the left and this been only a few days since it was filled. Mostly sparrows at the feeder and dove picking up what's been scattered on the ground. I caught one the other day just standing there looking up with his beak open, waiting for Manna. But we do see cardinals regularly and jays irregularly , so we keep the cafeteria in operation.

But if you are down at the bird cafe and see some finches hanging with an owl or two, tell them there's room and board on our back porch.