Birds: To Feed or Not To Feed

[Purseval]

That is the question. I put out our Hummingbird feeders yesterday and I normally put out sunflower seed for the Cardinals and other birds but seeing the flock of birds clustered around my neighbor's feeders made me wonder. When we give so much food to the birds are we really shooting ourselves in the foot? Obviously when they are at a feeder they aren't eating the insects that bite us, ruin our vegetables, eat the leaves off of the trees, etc. Hummingbirds will eat insects anyway when they need to supplement their diets but a sparrow can't gorge itself on 2 things at once. What do you think?

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

I say feed the birds if you want to & enjoy watching them. We love to put out thistle seed in an upside down feeder for the goldfinches. They're just too cute to watch.

I quit putting out sunflower seeds or safflower for cardinals because we're retired now & I thought we might not be able to afford to continue. I quit last fall; didn't want to continue into winter in case we had to stop because birds do need the help in winter.

I read somewhere that birds come to feeders but get most of their food elsewhere. I'd love to put out a hummer feeder but don't know where would be the best place. Is it bad for those sugar water feeders to be in full sun most of the day?

 

[Kirby]

I love watching the birds at our feeder. I only fill it once a week. The birds eat other places also. And not all birds will eat the seeds at the feeder. Mockingbirds and swallows don't. I've never seen a robin at the feeder either. I wouldn't worry about the birds eating only at your feeder. Even though they eat at mine, I've seen them out in the yard nibbling on grass seed or insects, on the porch looking for some dog food and in the bushes eating berries.

 

[PatsMom]

We only feed in the winter because otherwise the feeders just attract the bears. But we do enjoy watching the birds when we can feed them.