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Hi,

Recently, a group of birds started showing up on my porch. They turned out to be Junco's. The Junco do not go to the feeder. I like to feed them, but if I put out food on the ground, the squirrel show up right away and eat it all. Currently, I have been tossing thistle seeds out there because they appear to be too small for the squirrels to be interested, but I rather feed them something cheaper.

Would a wire cage ground feeder work? Where would I buy one?  Everyone seems to sell those tube feeders. Secondly, where would you put it. My thought is to put it on the porch over a rubber mat for easy clean up. However, there are a lot of squirrels. At night, I have notice a rather large racoon, a skunk, and an opossum. I was wondering how likely the cage will be over turned?

 

 Paul

 

You could also try a platform feeder mounted on a pole (make sure you have some sort of squirrel baffle on the pole, though).  Even though the juncos are ground feeders, they usually see the platform as a "ground" as well.  I have had a lot of success getting juncos, white-throated sparrows, and white-crowned sparrows (all ground feeders) using just a platform feeder.  It should attract a fair amount of other birds as well (such as American goldfinches and house finches for me).  

Hi,

That's good. There is a feral cat in the area. He does not show up very often, but I worry that he will target the birds.A platform would be helpful.

 Question: How can can I put the platform before the Junco stop seeing it as ground?

 

Paul

 

paulsiu:

 Question: How can can I put the platform before the Junco stop seeing it as ground?

I assume you mean "how HIGH can I put the platform..."   Well, mine is about 4 feet up (it's at a level where I can fill it without bending over or reaching up, and I'm 6'3").  I think you just need a pretty good sized platform and it shouldn't matter too much how high it is.  My platform was from Wild Birds Unlimited and is about 2 feet square. 

i have some pine rounds about 3 foot tall i stand up and put feed on or put pans on when it is muddy or snowy i can rake off the snow and the rain runs off. So the ground feeders have adopted to eat off the rounds.

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dklucius

I experimented by putting seeds on a low table. The Junco won't eat anything off the table.

How long did it take for the birds to eat from the platform?

 Thanks.

 Paul

mine took to the stumps right away because it was snowy and wet outside and the stumps were up out of the mud. but when it is sunny and dry they eat mostly on the ground still. the cold or snow does not bother them as much as the mud does.

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dklucius

Give it a few days and see how it goes.  Birds are creatures of habit, so it may take a little bit for them to notice it.

So I tried using a small table to get the Junco to feed from it. After 10 days, they still won't go on the table if it is more than a few inches off the ground. It's pretty annoying. Looks like I have to rethink the strategy.

Another possibility, I have heard that squirrels don't like white millet. I can replace the thistle seeds with white millet. The only problem is that no one carries white millet. If I buy it online, the shipping makes it as expensive as thistle seed.

Another possibility is to buy a mix that contains millet. Squirrels will eat the other stuff but leave the millet behind. At least that's the theory. I figure as long as they leave some stuff around for the bird, that will be fine.

Paul

I'm lucky here in that the sparrows and juncos finches and nuthatches and chickadees, come in mixed flocks when the weather is bad. They tend to imatate

 each other in that say if a bunch of finches are on the tube feeder then a few juncos try it too. The juncos prefer the ground unless it muddy. But they eat with

 the others from the tube feeder or the platform or another seed feeder. I am lucky in that i seldom get a squirrel or raccoon, but i have deer passing through that

 will clean out the feed they can get to... the other birds will join the juncos on the ground when it is dry and scratch with them for spilt seed..

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dklucius

a recent junco visiter

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dklucius

the same junco eating from the homemade seed feeder

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dklucius

juncos eating off the stump in the snow this morning

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dklucius

DKLUCIUS:

juncos eating off the stump in the snow this morning

I think that front left bird is a Gray-headed Junco. 

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- Steve

Latest lifers: Whooping Crane, Prairie Falcon, Fox Sparrow

Well the Juno (actually I have slate color Juno) that hang out on tree branches. They must be able to see the seed on the table, but they don't eat it. The sparrows have no problems going to it and eating it. I am guessing that they are not hungry enough to change their ways.

Paul