A few weeks after putting up my birdfeeders (1 nyger seed tube, one black oil sunflower seed hopper, 1 suet log) in the suburban Boston area, I had a nice mix of chickadees, cardinals, tufted titmice, nuthatch, Carolina wren, and downey woodpecker visiting in seeming harmony.
Then I got a goldfinch. Then I got two. Now, it seems like every goldfinch in this part of the state has found my feeders, and they monopolize the area. They tend to come & stay, and they spend as much time fighting with each other as they do feeding. They also started to monopolize the hopper feeder, which I have switched to safflower seed.
Like a bunch of punks hanging out in front of the 7-11, they are now keeping away other birds. I haven't seen a chickadee or nuthatch in a week, and I get many fewer visits from the titmice.
So...before I blow money on a solution that won't work, can the more experienced folks here tell me if my strategy sounds reasonable: I'm thinking of getting a "Finches Favorite, 3 Tube Feeder" and mounting it away (like closer to the ground?) from the other feeders which are all hanging in front of a second story window.
Is this likely to draw the punk goldfinches to their own turf and discourage them from hanging out at the upscale feeder mall?
(Note: I don't want to get rid of the goldfinches, otherwise I'd get rid of the nyger seed altogether. I just want them to grow up and stop hassling the other citizens. If I need to give them their own teen center to make this work, I'll do it.)
