Questions about Birds

I have a a few questions about birds, figured Dave couls help me.

I have put out some feeders and stuff and have started getting several birds in the morning. I have one of those sock things with thistle for finches, they loved it and ate it up within a matters of 2 or 3 days. I got bag of feed that has thistle and some other white stuff in it. I'm not sure what it is, but they don't seem to like it as much. But it has been rainy for the past few days, is that why they haven't been feeding. also with the sock thing all the feed has gotten wet from the rain. Is it still ok to leave it r do I need to dump it and put fresh in. I just want my birdies to come back, they were so pretty. I even had pidgeons in my yard the other morning.

Uh, I think it getting wet is bad, but I'm not real sure. I normally put out sunflower seeds and keep it in a bird feeder with a roof.

I put the thistles out one time, but all the birds that they claim will only eat thistles, come over and eat the sunflower seeds.

Plus, the seeds last a lot longer than the thistles or the mixed bags with that corn looking stuff in it, they take longer to open up the seed and they don't scatter.

If money is tight, you don't have to have a feeder, you can just put some out in a bowl everyday, they will eat from it.

I think I'm am going to get me a few of those finch feeders, instead of using the mesh sock thing, that way it wont matter if it rains, and they look better. I have also thought about getting some small cheap like plastic tables to put out inthe front yard to scatter seed on for the birds. I have a neighbor that does it and the birds are all over the place. I had onereally cute gray bird that looked like it was wearing a tux come up today, and a pretty red one, but it wasn't a cardnial, but there is a cardnial that comes up too.