Yes it seems to me those shells do serve a purpose. When the white-throated
and white-crowned sparrows are around I never see them on the feeders but
always below them, rooting around for all kinds of little treats. I expect
that debris increases visitor diversity though I can’t give you data on the fly
to support that. Same with brown thrashers – when in the front yard they are
always foraging under the feeders.
Happy moments, praise God,Difficult moments, seek God,Quiet moments, worship
God,Painful moments, trust God,Every moment, thank God.
From: birdky-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <birdky-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Jackie Elmore
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2020 12:56 PM
To: kytysons9152@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: Birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; crhorses@xxxxxxx
Subject: [birdky] Re: Sunflower Hearts vs Seeds
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I agree with Stephen...smaller birds will forage through shelled hulls and find
food...added benefit!
Jackie
Lincoln County
On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 12:34 PM Stephen Tyson
<kytysons9152@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:kytysons9152@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I recommend that you think about that shell waste differently. Nature makes use
of everything, and we’ve noticed that sunflower seed debris produces its own
ecosystem under the feeders, especially in the Spring. Robins and Thrashers
pick through the decomposing debris for the rich variety of earthworms and
other small creatures that are drawn to it. In fact, last spring, a pair of
Robins raised a brood near our feeders, seemingly, mostly from worms picked
from under the feeders. It may not look very nice to us but, in a way, whole
sunflower seed is feeding the birds twice.
Also, I can’t help but think that having to shell their food may be better for
them, in the same way it is better for us to use the stairs than the elevator.
Stephen Tyson, Schochoh, Logan Co
On Sep 24, 2020, at 6:13 AM, Cathy Oyster
<crhorses@xxxxxxx<mailto:crhorses@xxxxxxx>> wrote:
Does anyone feed sunflower hearts instead of seeds? The area under my feeders
fills up with the shells.
Cathy Oyster
Jessamine Co.
