Success With Safflower Seed

My feeder station currently offers seven different food choices. One that has been surprisingly successful is safflower seed. I introduced this high-oil foodstuff to the mix two years ago and have had such good results with that I’ve purchased it in bulk quantity ever since. This seed has been stunningly popular with Cardinals (who visit me all day, not just at sunrise and sunset) and Mourning Doves (who are now daily regulars only to the safflower feeders). I also found last summer, when I attempted to discourage squirrels by phasing out sunflower seed for a time, that safflower is readily accepted by the “tube birds” (House Finches, Goldfinches, Chickadees, Titmice, etc.) but is consistently rejected by the squirrels. I have not noticed any important down side to use of this seed except that it is a moderately expensive solo alternative to sunflower. I will be having another “Safflower Only Summer” again come June. We’ll see how that goes!