Goldfinches are always fun to watch. They prefer a feeder with small slotted openings with niger seed or sunflower hearts. No one seems to know exactly why, but for many, this seems to be the case. So, as a general rule, fill your feeder regularly, and don't allow it to get to the empty stage. Another important tip to remember is to shake your feeder periodically.
Moisture tends to get into the feeder, causing the seed to stick together.
This makes it impossible for the finches to get seeds out of the feeder. It is normal for the number of goldfinches at our feeding stations to fluctuate throughout the year. In early spring, you can expect the largest numbers. By the time the dandelions ripen, finches will be almost completely absent from the feeders. As they migrate north, other goldfinches that have overwintered further south will appear at your feeders in small numbers.