How Do We Watch Birds?

9 years ago

Just sharing a point of view from the Washington Post for those who may not have seen the article.

"Birders should return to observation instead of collecting"

I'm guessing that a good 80% of my four season birding is from inside the house behind glass - including most raptors that frequent my yard.

Jane
-as an aside, it is not easy for mourning doves to perch there. It takes 4-5 times before landing successfully, but they really love safflower seeds, as does the rose-breasted grosbeak behind them.

Comments (5)

catherinet
9 years ago
That's a very good article, and I agree with it.

I've really even backed off feeding birds during the summer (except for hummer feeders and suet in a bad winter), and instead letting weeds grow and growing bushes and flowers that make seeds that the birds eat.

We, as humans, think we need to have our noses in everything, and in doing so, cause detrimental things to happen to various species, under the guise of helping them.

It's great to see birds up close and personal......but sometimes I wonder what feeding them all the time actually does to them........not to mention the resources and energies used to grow/package/ship all the seeds.

I'm not putting anyone down.........I just always try to think of the consequences of all my actions.

Are we still friends? :)
corunum z6 CT
Original Author
9 years ago
Sure, we're still birding friends. But I'm going to continue feeding safflower all summer. Interesting thing is, the titmouses, chickadees, carolina wrens - all stay away when they're nesting and then feeding bugs to the babies - and they nest on my land. After obvious fledglings have occurred, they flock back to the safflower which has more protein than many other seeds. I stay with mostly native shrubs, berry making bushes, etc., but it is because I maintain a feeder year round and because of digital cameras, that I learned way more about birds and what to plant for them in my gardens. My land today is more beneficial to birds than when I bought it 40 years ago. :)

Jane
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Pyewacket
9 years ago
Yeah, I've often thought that many (but not all) of the so-called "serious" birdwatchers I have known are deluded when they style themselves as "scientists". The vast majority wouldn't recognize true experimental design if it jumped up and bit them. Many (again not all) of these folks have encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to bird identification, which is no small thing - but that doesn't make one a scientist. Nor does it give one carte blanche to become a bird-botherer.

I prefer to do my watching in my own yard, and my listening, and all other birdly activities. Mostly from behind my patio door. I like to plant bird-friendly (and butterfly-and-bee friendly) plants where possible - which is no excuse for my backyard neighbor who planted trumpet vine along the fence, very far up a steep slope from HIS lawn, but leaving me to have to constantly root up the invasive vines all through MY back yard. Has he never heard of cardinal climber??? *sigh*

As for feeding the birds - according to actual ornithologists, given that you are feeding appropriately (eg sunflower seeds, not bread crumbs, kind of thing) it does no harm and may do a bit of good in times of stress. Clean water is equally and sometimes more important.

I'll not argue about the ecological soundness or lack thereof of the bird seed industry as a whole - but frankly, unless you're cobbling your own shoes from leather-providing animals that you raised on your native pasture; and are weaving your own cloth from the fiber you spun from your own flock of sheep or from the flax you grew and retted yourself, then wove that on the loom you built from wood you cut down on your own wood lot; AND you are making your own pottery cookware from clay you dug yourself - I don't think there's really all that much to say on this issue.

The environmental impact of manufacturing the computers we are all using to access this forum on the Internet, and the network of manufacturing, mining, and transportation that supports all that (not to mention terrible working conditions for the workers who assemble the things) almost doesn't bear thinking about - but in any case, the use of birdseed pales in comparison.

OK, I'm being a bit facetious - but in the general scheme of things there are far worse things we do on a daily basis than buy a 50 lb bag of BOSS to feed the birds. Most of them involve our ubiquitous use of cars. The number one thing you can do to save the environment (and improve your health) is to leave the car home at every opportunity and walk or ride a bike to get around as much as is possible. This will, btw, also go a long way towards improving the general health of the birds as well. Cleaner air is good for us all!
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
7 years ago
Jane, you rock.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
7 years ago
zen, you rock too.