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Feeding Birds

To: Lloyd Nielsen <>
Subject: Feeding Birds
From: Kai Schraml <>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2016 01:23:54 +0000
What Lloyd said…spot on


Kai Schraml
​+61 (04) 9999 1240 Cell
+61 (02) 9985 1901 Home 




> On 4 Feb 2016, at 9:42 am, Lloyd Nielsen <> 
> wrote:
> 
> First let me say I have been feeding birds all my life. I see nothing wrong 
> with it as long as it is done responsibly.
> 
> Just a few points.
> 
> Creating a garden which will attract birds is the ultimate BUT how many 
> people have the ability, the inclination, the knowledge, the opportunity, the 
> time or a suitable block of land to do it? Very few I would think. As an 
> ex-nurseryman I would have loved to have done it but have never had the time 
> or the opportunity. There would be nothing better. In the district in which I 
> now live I know of only two gardens created to attract wildlife but I know of 
> many many people who have a feeder or water in their gardens just for the 
> birds. And as far as planting a garden of native plants for wildlife, that is 
> fine but it is only the dedicated (converted) who will do that. Most people 
> love that massive colour that exotics and some natives provide around them - 
> just watch the ABC TV Gardening Australia programme on a Saturday night. When 
> I was in the industry, we could sell 100 azaleas to about 10 grevilleas. (A 
> considerable number of the azalea buyers will still have a feeder or water in 
> their garden though).
> 
> As far as disease goes, I have never seen a single example of a diseased bird 
> at or near any of the feeders I have used over the years. But then I have 
> always lived in the country and have fed birds responsibly. (I presume it may 
> probably be more of a problem in the cities).Surely some of these diseases 
> can be spread naturally. I have a Callistemon not far from my front door 
> which flowers profusely. It attracts probably 10 species of honeyeaters, 
> lorikeets, and others as well as beetles, butterflies and many other insects 
> by day. By night, fruit bats give it a thorough going over and probably many 
> other nocturnal life forms such as smaller mammals, moths and so on. I should 
> think it would be so easy to pass disease on when so many creatures visit it.
> 
> Do people really feed cockatoos and other obnoxious species? They certainly 
> don't get a look in at my place.
> 
> There was a great story on our local ABC radio a week or so ago. An old 
> fellow had just retired and someone gave him a bird feeder. He knew nothing 
> about birds but was amazed at the birds it attracted. He bought himself a 
> field guide and now sits on his patio for a couple of hours each morning 
> watching and identifying the birds that come to the feeder. Best thing he has 
> ever done was his comment. And there are many more like him out there! Isn't 
> it better to advise him of the correct way to do it rather than say "Sorry 
> mate - you shouldn't feed birds", especially in this day an age when our 
> wildlife is still getting a walloping with habitat still being destroyed at 
> an alarming rate and giving way to urbanisation, agriuculture and so on? 
> Turning the general public away from feeding birds surely must be a backward 
> step. We need all the support from the general public that we can get from a 
> conservation point of view. We should be fostering their interest which in 
> turn will add some support, especially when fighting conservation battles.
> 
> Lloyd  Nielsen
> Mt Molloy, Nth Qld
> www.birdingaustralia.com.au
> 
> 
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