Feeding the Pigs

Wait, did I say pigs? Obviously I meant feeding the birds, but sometimes it's hard to tell. I've never seen birds go through so much food and I've never seen birds stick around all winter! I fill up their feeder every couple of days. You can see from the photo above that our feeder has become quite the gathering spot. This flurry of activity is a fairly common sight. The feeder sits right outside our big dining room and has provided plenty of entertainment this winter.

These pictures were taken a week or so ago when we still had snow on the ground. The snow makes a great backdrop to see the birds and the mess they make. Sometimes I wonder if the birds at the feeder are actually eating anything or if they are just knocking the seed onto the ground for other birds to eat. This scattering of seed on the ground in the photo below is mild compared to what is there now.

A friend of mine who raises chickens which provide his family with eggs wanted to know, "Why do you feed the birds. What value do they provide?"

"Sheer joy."

He considered that for a second and said, "It's worth it then."

Yes, it's definitely worth it.