Comments saratogan has made

feeding birds

I use to feed birds religiously.  Got my parents and a brother hooked on it.  It was great seeing the idfferent varieties and the numbers of each species arriving daily.  Within the last 4 or 5 years, I started noticing eye disease with the finches, bald heads on the cardinals, etc.  Although I am about #18,000 with NWF Backyard Habitat, I wondered about the pro's and con's of feeding the birds and whether such activity might change their feeding habits and become dependent upon the food source.  Finally, I gave up the feeders - cleanliness issue being foremost, cost second, and concerns about altering natural processes.  I have started planting more indigenous plant species that birds, butterflies, and insects use.  My hope that I provide a more sustainable habitat.  Now my problem is the herd of deer that overbrowse the yard now.  I live in the city in mid-atlantic and see more deer in my yard then I use to in the country.  And I don't get to see the 12 to 20 different bird species everyday like I use to.  This is the Ying and Yang of existence, is it not?On Umbra on feeding birds posted 2 years, 4 months ago 19 Responses