Kaytee Wild Bird Finch Food Blend, 3 lb

Be careful what you wish for…
I’d seen a couple of goldfinches in my yard and bought this hoping to attract more. Boy, did it work! About 2 weeks after I put it up, it’s regularly swarmed by goldfinches. I’ve had up to 10 hanging on to the socks at once, with others waiting in the nearby trees. The only other finches I’ve seen so far are some house finches. They will eat from this feeder (though they prefer the regular feeder), but they seem to have a harder time holding on and getting the seeds than the goldfinches do. I enjoy watching the goldfinches, but they are going through about 1 pound of nyjer seed per day. It’s starting to get expensive!Overall, the feeder is quite good, though it could use a few minor tweaks. It hasn’t been up long, but it has already been through strong winds and snow, and it’s held up well. I like that the socks can be removed for washing (very needed, since the birds tend to, uh, befoul them), and that they provide extra socks so you can switch them out. However, on one of the socks, the rubber circle that holds it on to the plastic has come apart after hanging for just a day. The feeder can be difficult to fill. You basically need three hands: one to hold the cap/lid up, one to hold the feeder steady so it doesn’t sway out of the way, which makes you spill seed all over, and one to hold the seed container as you pour it (and that’s assuming it’s a container you can hold and control with one hand). Just a little clip or something to hold the cap up while you fill it would be hugely helpful. The cap can also be annoying to try to line up to get back on correctly, especially if it’s hanging above your eye level. Do not make the mistake I made of filling it inside the house — the seeds spill out through the mesh. I did not have the issue with the spillage that another reviewer had — I didn’t find it excessive, as long as it happened outside and not on my floor.

Not quite like the picture — but finches like it
I’ve been using “thistle socks” to feed the finches in my yard for a long time now. The ones I’ve been using are disposable “socks” filled with thistle seed that are available in grocery stores for around $4-$5. The birds love them.So when I saw the KAYTEE FINCH STATION 2, I decided to give it a try. It’s considerably larger than the disposable socks I have been buying, and I figured it would save me time and money over the long run.The feeder is easy to set up — all you do is turn the thing upside down, stretch the elastic tops of the two “socks” over the rings in the filling station, and then hang the feeder. Thistle seed is easily poured into the feeder once it’s hung, and the two socks fill up quickly. The reservoir at the top of the station holds additional thistle seed, which falls into the socks as the birds feed.I’ve had this hanging off my deck for two weeks now. The finches do come, but not in the numbers they did before. I’m going to give it more time, but the birds seem a bit put off by the appearance of the feeder (which does look a bit like some sort of alien creature!). I certainly haven’t seen the numbers of finches pictured on the box!One other negative — as pointed out by some other reviewers, the weave of the mesh fabric used for the socks is a bit too open, so that thistle seed tends to fall out as the feeder is filled and as birds hop around on the socks. I wouldn’t say the thistle “pours out,” and I don’t think enough is lost to negate the feeder’s good points. But I’m also wondering if the open weave of the fabric has been deterring the finches. They really did seem to like the disposable socks better.Overall, this isn’t a bad feeder, and the price here on Amazon is very attractive (I saw the same feeder for sale at a local hardware store for $17). It does come with two extra “socks,” which should come in handy.UPDATE: The finches seem to have gotten used to the feeder — it did take a week or so, but now I have plenty of birds. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like the crowd shown in the picture on the box — in fact, I’m not sure that many birds could really fit on this thing. The “socks” themselves are fairly thin and long, and more than four or five birds would be pretty crowded. But those that aren’t able to find a good perching spot will wait their turn on the deck railing. So I have plenty of colorful finches for my enjoyment!2nd UPDATE (9/10/2011): OK, now I think ALL the finches in the state of Maryland are in my backyard! I see 20 or more of them crowded onto this feeder most of the time, with more in the trees waiting for a chance to grab a spot. So I’m upping the stars to four (it would be five, but for the too-big weave of the mesh).

This has been so easy… to use, fill and clean. It keeps my backyard finches happily away from the other feeders. Highly recommend.

Excellent