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I used to just scatter seed on the ground like a chaos goblin (now I actually use a platform feeder and my yard is a bird sanctuary)
For two whole years I just tossed sunflower seeds and millet directly onto the grass. I thought feeders were just for show, honestly. Then last spring a pair of mourning doves got into a weird territorial scrap over a single kernel right by my patio door (it was like watching a slow motion soap opera). My neighbor actually yelled over the fence "you're wasting half that seed to squirrels" and I was like, wait, he's right. So I grabbed a basic tray feeder from the hardware store for like $12 and now I get blue jays and cardinals every morning. The doves still visit too, but they have to share the platform like civilized birds. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized your setup was completely wrong?
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diana_west274mo ago
Chaos goblin. I felt that in my soul.
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hugo_robinson254mo ago
Are we really acting like tossing seed on the ground is some huge mistake though? I mean, birds have been eating off the ground for millions of years, probably. Yeah, squirrels get some but honestly so what, they gotta eat too. I still scatter a handful of seed on the patio just for the doves and juncos that won't touch a feeder, and they seem fine. Not everything has to be a big production with a platform and a full sanctuary, you know?
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eric_knight74mo ago
Hold on, @hugo_robinson25, you lost me at "doves and juncos that won't touch a feeder." Are you saying you've got picky birds? I thought sparrows and doves would eat gravel if you put it out. That's wild to me, I guess I've only ever dealt with the trash pandas of the bird world that'll eat anything. Still though, I get the point about not overcomplicating things. I just can't get over the idea of a bird turning its beak up at a free meal.
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