Our feeder is visited quite regulary by house finces. We also have a
flowering pear tree in our yard. and I have noticed them picking at newly
formed flower and leaf buds. What they really seem to enjoy are the new buds
that form on a sunburst locust. I don't know enough about trees to know if
what they are getting is a small, undescript blossom on the locust, or the
newly forming leaves. The locust tree is fairly young, so it's comical to
see the finches inching their way out to the end of the branches until they
sag with the weight of the bird.