Feeding the wildlife is sometimes done like this, unintentionally, or by people like me, who like to feed the birds. It was a winter ago when I saw birdseed put out by a neighbor, and I saw all the little tracks in the snow that got me started. It occurred to me that birds might need to be fed in the winter. And then I didn't stop when summer came around, and now I'm hooked on feeding the birds. And the squirrels by default.
At least I live in a second-story apartment so I don't get the deer eating up my hummingbird flowers, but I watch them eat the ground-level flowers that appeal to them. The whole Pacific Northwest is their salad bar, after all.
I have followed the tenets about feeding the birds that comes from some well-known and respected sites, such as the "All About Birds" site at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I just looked up some information, out of curiosity, wondering how the birds crack the sunflower seeds. I learned that the black oil sunflower seeds have thin shells that are readily cracked by most birds. Some people in my apartment complex put out corn for the birds and other wildlife, but I don't. I found that it rots quickly, and this information on that website caught my eye:
Corn is eaten by grouse, pheasants, turkeys, quails, cardinals, grosbeaks, crows, ravens, jays, doves, ducks, cranes, and other species. Unfortunately, corn has two serious problems. First, it’s a favorite of House Sparrows, cowbirds, starlings, geese, bears, raccoons, and deer—none of which should be subsidized by us. Second, corn is the bird food most likely to be contaminated with aflatoxins, which are extremely toxic even at low levels.So, it is quite possible that you could be harming rather than helping the wildlife by feeding them. After trying my best to rid myself of the House Sparrows, I've stopped putting out everything except the nyjer thistle which the finches love, and black oil sunflower seeds. I just love the cheeky chickadees, and they eat the sunflower seeds, as do the House Sparrows. I won't stop feeding my favorite guys, so I guess I have to endure the House Sparrows as well.
I gain so much pleasure from watching the birds, and now from chasing the squirrels in the ancient tradition of all neighborhood kids with Super Soakers. I've written about this guilty pastime of mine before (feeding the birds), and I've decided that I'm not likely to quit doing it anytime soon. Learning to coexist with our wild neighbors takes a bit of effort. Just like those pesky humans I share my environment with, too!
:-)
I had to laugh when I saw this picture. My friends in British Columbia, naturalists, had a pond and raised their own fish. They had a garden and didn't raise deer but in spite of a ten foot fence that got even taller in places, they got over it and ate whatever they wanted from their vegetable garden. And for a treat, three or four of them would walk up the driveway and wait outside the kitchen window while the lady tossed out special apples for them to munch on and the man of the house took a heaping cup of oats out and put that on a board for them to eat too. I guess they liked it anyway. Brings back memories.
ReplyDeleteDJan, are you perhaps practicing 'racial profiling?' How can you begrudge a sparrow seed just because it's not as cute as a chickadee?
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with squirrels? Squirrels are fun to watch. They're real acrobats. Of course they sometimes build nests in your attic also.
Who could resist Bamby? Baby deer are really sweet. So are baby rabbits but they grow up to be big rabbits and eat gardens.
I once rescued a baby opossum and thought it was cute but it grew up to be very ugly and I didn't like it anymore. Thank goodness it moved across the street.
When I lived in Texas and had two dripping bird baths in my back yard I fed a lot of bird. Birds love dripping water. The birds that drove me crazy were grackles. They are ugly, make an awful noise, and are very messy. They would fly in from around the neighborhood carrying bread scraps someone had put out, or red dog food they'd gotten somewhere, and soak them in my birdbaths. What a mess. I hated that. Red dogfood makes a terrible ring around a bird bath. All that aside, they were fun to watch. We had an invasion of grasshoppers and they would fly in and sit around the edges of the birdbath, all of them soaking grasshoppers underwater, then they'd fly off with the soaked grasshoppers in their beaks. Sometimes they would line the birdbath and pass a red berry around and around until the grackle that brought it had had enough then it would fly away with the berry in his beak. Still they were ugly, messy birds. Humans are that way too. Some of us are prettier and more colorful than other, and a lot of us are messy.
Keep having fun with nature, you can't beat it.
I've come to love the birds at the feeder, too. I need to plant a few shrubs in strategic places to bring more birds into the yard and near the feeder (I learned that from Abe). The squirrels are annoying, except that I've come to admire their creativity and perseverance.
ReplyDeleteWe love feeding the birds too and then watching them..we do use corn...and don't worry about any toxins...rather chance that then having the birds starve to death from the sprawling urban areas we as humans create.
ReplyDeleteI had to stop feeding the birds because my English Setter...Maggie would catch and eat them. Although I don't feed anymore..I think I'm the only one in my neighborhood that gives the birds plenty of places to nest. My yard is full of evergreen apartment buildings for the sparrows, window boxes for the mourning doves, and cedars and trees for the robins.
ReplyDeleteThe neighbors like grass from the ends of their property lines right up to their houses with no plant material in between. No trees either.... maintenance free I suppose.
My dad use to love to fee the birds!!
ReplyDeleteI've kept a feeder and suet going for the past couple of years myself. It has attracted sparrows, blue jays, cardinal, chickadees, grackels, cow birds, juncos, goldfinch, robins and so much more.. which in turn have attracted hawks on occasion. Of course squirrels and raccoons are just part of the deal. I love them all. Good for you for feeding the critters. They're a joy to watch. Thanks for your visit to my blog today. I'm happy to have found yours in return. :)
ReplyDeleteBecause of the dog I've not put out food for the birds. He barks enough at the cats and squirrels he sees.
ReplyDeleteI do have a problem with the deer eating my plants which makes me mad and sad. Mad because they're my plants, and sad because we've so screwed up their natural environment that they wander through suburbia in search of food. My MIL gave me some spray that works wonders to keep the deer away though it smells godawful.
No deer here, but we did have a bear once! Our yard has been a registered Wildlife Habitat for many years, and we've always enjoyed watching the birds that come and go with the seasons or stay year round. We offer food, both in feeders and from plants, bird baths, and lots of cover.
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the mynah birds that come and eat leftover cat food in my patio, but what can I do? They are welcome to it. The birds that come are not very pretty. They are brown and grey -- never blue or red.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I get this post! In Aruba, birds are not discouraged from entering and flitting thru restaurants. In a classy hotel, at brunch, we photographed finches pecking away at sugar bowls, at fruit platter leftovers. Wildlife is just that. Wild. And they adapt. They bring us pleasure. We serve their agendas. What's wrong with that? We are all simbiotic creatures.
ReplyDeleteI love to feed the birds. What could be better than watching all the different breeds enjoying a little feast right outside your window? Helping them through the winter can't be bad for them when so much of their natural habitat is gone. Don't you think?
ReplyDeleteBirds are simply lovely to watch! And feeding them is fabulous! What a lot of good thoughts and suggestions you make in this post! You are a treasure trove, my dear friend!!!! I used to have bird feeders...but I was not as consistent as I ought to have been...(the squirrels discouraged me) and felt I did more harm than good with my inconsistency...We do have a bird bath, though...and I thoroughly enjoy that! And love, love, love the supersoaker!!!! Perhaps, I may try again :-) Love, Janine XO
ReplyDeleteWe feed the birds too, just sunflower seeds..and we have a bird bath..we have one pesky squirrel that entertains Chance for hours. I think it is a good thing to feed the birds..deer are opportunistic lazy feeders..they will browse the best first and not even eat it all..I have found some plants like moss roses just pulled up and left behind..darn deer:(
ReplyDeleteWe feed birds because we are home every day and we love watching them. I think lots of neighbors feed them too. I like your last remark about pesky humans.
ReplyDeleteWe usually catch sight of birds here at dusk... not many but more than if I lived downtown. :s
ReplyDeleteMust be nice to watch them from your window!
We have stopped feeding the birds because the squirrels were always invading the feeder. In the garden we planted several dill plants but the bunnies think it's the ideal early morning treat. We have a ground hog who has stripped our hearty cone flowers to the stems. It has been a bit of a challenge to practice cohabitation but we're being patient.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any feeder in my yard but it is still filled with birds. They seem quite content with the natural foods on the shrubs and flowers. I have so many robins this year hunting for earthworms and the little birds go after the bugs.
ReplyDeleteIf I thought it would bring deer into my yard I would plant a garden just for them. Have you tried putting out some peanuts for the squirrels? The jays love unshelled peanuts too.