The Value of the Backyard Bird Feeder

I believe the value of the ordinary backyard bird feeder is greatly misunderstood.

Is it a refuge for birds in the dead of winter, starving for small morsels of food? Or is it just a waypoint in the daily life of a sparrow, as he/she flies hither and thither, occasionally perching and blessing us humans with a brief song?

I don’t know, as I’m not an ornithologist. But I do work in an office.

So, I wonder if the birds see it like a water cooler? Flying in, checking out what seeds are at the little window, filling their little gullets, and chatting about what they all saw on their daily rounds so far? Or maybe, they gossip about other birds, or cats, or humans they saw. Or talk about what they want to do later in the day, or even possibly if they want to built a nest together somewhere?

Relatively speaking, the bird feeder is tiny compared to an entire backyard; the one I have has a footprint of only a few square inches. Compared to looking for worms in a yard measuring 40 feet by the 100 feet in an urban setting, or an acre in a rural setting, the bird feeder is a total goldmine.

Hanging from a tree, or mounted to a post, we humans put seeds in it as often as we feel like it. It’s a clever contraption, as it keeps the seeds dry, has a small spot for the birds to perch, and a small aperture for a beak to reach in and pull things out.

To the humans who regularly feed the birds, squirrels are oftentimes a nuisance and sometimes the bane of their existence. In the end, though, someone is getting fed, whether they have wings or not. So, are squirrels really a nuisance? I mean, they’re just trying to survive like you and I.

Mother Nature is truly amazing. A bird feeder is an easy way for us humans to interact with animals that we’d ordinarily never meet, and a big score for anyone looking for food. Whether it be a place to offer winged friends comfort food on days when deep snow yields slim pickings, or just a spot in the back yard where we can catch a glimpse of Mother Nature at work, they are truly awesome.

Note: Stauffer grew up in the Bakers Summit area and now lives near Pittsburgh.

He resolved to write something short about something in his backyard this year. He did this to both refine his writing skills and provide something that some of his friends would enjoy reading.

He graciously decided to share with us at the Herald.