FLAX SEEDS, GOID OR BAD FOR FINCHES?

[isobea]

You know Elana, I've lived here for the last 29 years and even here I get 'cold' nowadays - when sometimes it's 3 or 4 C (about 38 F) at 6 am in January or February. And hot when the thermometer climbs above 25 C (77 F). Does that mean we'll have to move to the equator where it's pretty much the same temperature all year round?
As for earthquakes: in all these years there were just a handful that we could feel (nothing ever fell off the shelves or anything like that). It's surprising I know. Wildfires, unfortunately, yes, we've had a few lately, but almost all of them were arson (and the drought did not help). So we have a 'safe' zone around our house and a clay roof.
Anybody wonder how we got from talking about flax seeds to this topic? It just evolved I guess...
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
LOL... if we want to discuss the weather and flax seeds, why shouldn't we?

Regarding seeds... Do any of your birds eat those tiny black canola seeds? Do any birds at all eat those silly things, or are they just put in the seed mixes to annoy bird owners, roll all over the place, and make a person slip and slide all over the floor?

~Elana~

[isobea]

Sooo, are you freezing tonight? It's a little past 8 pm and still 56 F ...

Honestly I haven't paid attention to the canola seeds. Just checked my seed mix a minute ago and there are very few in it. My former birds (E. goldfinches, siskins and canaries) used to eat them on a regular basis and certain times of the year so much so that I had to buy extra to mix in. You know, you could save some and sprinkle them on your flowerbeds once all of your snow has melted... Your birds (and mine for that matter) will - once again - probably love to pick the half ripe seeds out of the capsules.
My problem right now is canary seed: nobody will eat that (not even the canary). I read that most people's birds love it, so go figure.
Have you tried foxtail millet? I bought a bag at PetSmart yesterday and everybody seems to love it. So I sprinkled some of it into a window box. We'll see if it will germinate in our 'winter'. It is pretty expensive and the sprays are a lot smaller than regular millet.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
Goodmorning.
I have tried the foxtail millet and nobody went for it. Yes, it is more expensive here as well and for me it was a waste of money. Glad your guys liked it. You know, I've seen all sorts of fox tails growing around here (before the snow came) and I've wondered if it would be safe to offer it to my guys, but for some reason never got around to it. Too late now LOL... it's buried.

As to those pesky little black balls of canola. Maybe I'll try some of them on a platter of soil, and see what they do. It seems to me, that most of them end up on my floor for me to sweep and slide on.

Have a good day.

~Elana~

[isobea]

Good morning Elana, if you plant a few of these seeds, be prepared for pretty tall plants (check Wikipedia). In the early summer there are huge fields blooming in northern Germany, a sea of yellow flowers - absolutely spectacular! There is an open space (like a small valley) behind our backyard and every spring a wild relative of canola springs up to 4 - 6 feet tall, branching freely and blooming on all tips. Once the long, skinny seedpods start developing I usually cut the whole stem and let my birds climb around in the plant and 'harvest' the seeds. Cheap food and entertainment!
I usually collect several different kinds of grasses that grow wild around here (as long as I know there was no pesticide applied and they haven't been exposed to exhaust fumes along the streets). The first ones are just now starting to show up and set seed (I know, crazy reverse climate in some respects. Mostly due to lack of rain water during the summer months). My birds let me know which ones they like best. Also, I can't wait for the first chickweed to show up. They love the leaves and seeds and I usually chop some of it and mix it in with the egg food.
Have a great day, Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
Hi Iso.
Yes, I know all about fields of Canola. It's one of the crops grown in Alberta, and you leave the city, you can see huge fields of it here as well, miles and miles of yellow that stretch out into forever.

I also collect wild grasses for my birdies in the Spring and Summer when I walk the dogies every morning. My kids absolutely love it and can't wait to dig in when I get home. Chick weeds and dandelion leaves are great favorites as well.

It's funny, last winter I was tossing out whatever seeds my birds didn't eat into the yard. I figured, that it would be a nice meal for the wild birds. Well, whatever the wild breathern didn't eat, sprouted everywhere in my yard cine Spring. It created a terrible mess on my lawn and flower beds. My birds however loved it.

~Elana~

[Colt]

My birds don't eat the Canola seeds either.