Just got my first house finch family after 3 years of trying

Been fighting with this one corner of the yard since 2020. Kept putting out thistle socks and nyjer seed, nothing. Then last week I noticed a pair hanging around my overgrown juniper bush. Turns out they like the seed but they need somewhere to nest nearby. I trimmed it back a little and threw down some extra nesting material like twigs and dry grass. This morning I saw two babies poking out of the bush. Felt like a small victory. Has anyone else had luck by just changing the habitat instead of the food? I'm curious what worked for you.

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1 Comment

the_miles1mo ago

Wait, TWO babies already? That seems crazy fast, you just noticed the pair last week and now there are chicks out? I mean I know house finches move quick but that's like speedrunning the whole parenting thing. But hey, congrats, that's a huge win after three years of nada. The habitat thing makes total sense to me though, birds are picky about where they set up shop and it sounds like your juniper was the missing piece. I had a similar thing happen with wrens once I left a brush pile alone, they showed up within a month. Honestly sometimes we overthink the feeder part and forget they need a safe spot to crash.