It started with the goldfinches - Senecio cineraria

StumpyPumpy

Last year we bought a hanging basket that included a silver-leaf ragwort (Senecio cineraria). Somewhat surprisingly it over-wintered and this spring we planted it out in the borders where it has flourished. Not long after planting though, we started to notice bits of it broken off and lying on the ground. So, being the techie sort of geek that I am, I set up a motion detect system to find out what was happening.

The answer was: goldfinches! They were recorded violently tugging at the branches, ripping them off the plant and dropping them to the ground and then pulling more off. Once they'd removed the leaves they did not return to them or even the same part of the plant where the last ones came from. This all started before the plants had even got flower buds and there was no sign of any unusual amounts of insects on the plant either. They don't seem to be eating the leaves and weren't taking them away for nesting.

We do have bird feeders including one for niger seed but these are at the other end of the garden and apart from flying in to attack the silver leaf the goldfinches never stray too far away from the tree that holds the feeder. Now we have noticed sparrows and starlings starting to do the same thing!

We have a random mix of plants in the garden, none are suffering the same attacks and the birds are definitely targeting the silver leaf - we watch them fly from the feeders over lots of other plants, land next to the silver leaf, pull out a few leaves then fly back to the feeders.

I'm not worried about the plant: it is big enough to withstand the damage they are causing, which in the general scheme of things is minor. However, I am very curious to know if anyone else has witnessed something similar or has any theories as to why they might be doing it as it doesn't appear to be for food or nesting. Have we inadvertently encouraged the Hell's Angels Goldfinch chapter into our garden with our all you can eat bird bath and spar complex? Would ASBO's help? Is it a protest against Brexit?:p I don't know, but I can't find any mention of this behaviour searching Google, so I thought I'd turn it over to the experts.


SP