First Junco on the bird feeder

16 years ago

It's been snowing here and I finally saw my first Junco at the feeder. Normally, they don't eat anything unless it's on the ground. I guess once they can't find anything on the ground, they will adapt and eat from a hanging feeder.

Paul

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Comments (5)

donald lucius
16 years ago
i get a lot of juncos in the late fall and winter and they eat on the ground when its dry but when it snowy they eat from the platform or the tube feeder or anyplace they can get to the seeds. I rake the snow off the stumps i sat up outside the window and they swarm to them and eat away
paulsiu
Original Author
16 years ago
dklucius, how have you managed to get the Junco to eat before the local pest shows up. When ever I put stuff on a stump, squrrels and sparrows appear suddenly and gobble it up before the Junco's show.
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Hi! Your feeder is neat, especially the way you've hung the tray on the bottom. The only thing I can think of, relative to your question about why birds aren't using that feeder, is that at this time of year it's not the feeder - there are so many insects, seeds, buds, etc. out there that haven't been available to the birds before spring, and I know that's where most of our birds are getting their nourishment. Even the gray catbirds that have been in the garden and birdbath haven't been visiting our fruit/jelly feeder. I've actually taken everything down except the nyjer feeder, and I keep the birdbaths filled and clean because all the birds come to those no matter what. On the other hand, we have a pair of goldfinches that visits our nyjer feeder every day at about 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., like clockwork. And more goldfinches than just those two take advantage of the feeder as well. So that feeder will stay up. This will work out - you could leave your feeder up and wait and see, birds may suddenly see it and use it. Good luck - Donna
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kendra2003
16 years ago
Paulsiu, I put down nyjer seed for the Juncos and the house sparrows and squirrels don't show any interest in it.
donald lucius
16 years ago
the sparrows don't show up here but when its stormy and usually after daylight. the juncos are often here before it get light even and stay off and on all day till dark. the sparrows show up in flocks fly in and eat in a hury and are gone and might not be back for days. Only one scraggly ground squirrel here and he seldom climbs anything and stays on the ground mostly and has a tunnel under a shrub in a neighbors yard. Have not seen him since it started snowing. the juncos favor the cracked corn and millet and the sparrows the millet and milo.
jannd
16 years ago
I've had juncos showing up on my feeders this year for the first time. They still eat all the spilled stuff on the ground under the feeder, but I was surprised to see them on my tube feeder as well this year.

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First Junco on the bird feeder

Comments (5)

donald lucius

paulsiu
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kendra2003

donald lucius

jannd

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First Junco on the bird feeder

Comments (5)

donald lucius

paulsiuOriginal Author

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kendra2003

donald lucius

jannd

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paulsiu
Original Author