Oh frak, he's back already. *grumpy*

Maybe if you put out more nyjer on the ground the junco will feed there rather than bothering to cling to the feeder. I've seen them occasionally on the nyjer feeder but mostly they stay on the ground. More food may be the key.

I spread nyjer on one ground area and get juncos, mourning doves, assorted native sparrows, and turkeys eating there. Turkeys love nyjer but obviously can't cling to a feeder, although they rip open nyjer socks if they can reach them.

The goldfinches are fine up in the air, although I do have two nyjer feeders.

Claire

I'm getting ready to put up 2 more seed feeders, one hanging from the underside of the deck as the nyjer feeder does, and one window mounted. Its a walkout basement situation. I'll be using black oil sunflower seeds in the hanging feeder (its the Brome Squirrel Buster Standard) and I haven't decided, either sunflower chips/hearts or more black oil sunflower seeds in the window-mounted feeder.

Will the Juncos be drawn more to those feeders than to the nyjer? I could mount the window feeder lower on the window to be nearer ground level if it might attract them away from the nyjer feeder.

There are at least a couple of them that want to feed at the feeder now. I don't know if they are always the SAME couple but never more than 2 on the tube. I wouldn't mind except they insist on driving the goldfinches away. The VAST majority of them are happy on the ground. There does seem to be plenty of seed for them there, I can see it through the window even in the grass.

The juncos like to fly up to my window and perch on the edge of it and peer in. I don't know why but they do. So flying INTO the window shouldn't be an issue.

I've actually never seen a bird fly into a window, except once at someone else's house where they had a giant picture window that was in direct line with a patio door. I'm pretty sure the bird thought it was flying towards the trees it could see in the backyard through both windows. Otherwise I've never had a bird fly into a window.

It kind of freaked me out the first time I heard one land - I thought one had flown into the window after all, but there was nothing there by the time I looked. When I heard the scritching sound the next time, I looked around and there was a junco just perched on the lip of the window looking at me out of the side of his head. Every now and then one will pop up and perch there for a few seconds before flying off. I have NO idea why. They're perched on the lip of the upper half of the window, not on the sill. It's kind of strange, LOL!

OH, btw, it isn't a cling-type feeder, it's a cheap tube type feeder with perches. It was the only thing I could find locally that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I could replace it with a cling-type, if that would discourage the juncos - if they would rather perch than cling maybe they would give up and stick to the ground?

Zensojourner- lol- I can understand how you feel because I have juncos here who fly up to perch and feed from the tube feeder as well as my suet cage! They love suet and sit in the "suet palace" until they've had enough, then fly off. The goldfinches here fight back when the overbearing juncos arrive, and so the finches are able to feed from the tube feeder. I even have one female cardinal who learned how to perch sideways and eat from the tube feeder.

Not sure what area you live in zensojourner, but I think your juncos may depart come full-on spring to head north. I read that they summer in places like Alaska, so your little finches will likely have their nyjer seed all to themselves then.

You are right, they should be leaving about April here. That is somewhat of a relief. I don't mind them - as long as they don't chase off my goldfinches!

Hummingbirds are due here in about 3 or 4 weeks, I hope I will manage to attract some. I hope I attract ANYBODY in summer - the birds pretty much seem to abandon me on sunny warm days.