Anyone else saddened by RSPB direction, to not feed birds during Summer?

Thank you - they are very good points, and about dependency. Yes, it is probably selfish - I loved their song, their antics [particularly the corvids] and opening the curtains in anticipation to see what would be there.

Yes, I change the water every day but nothing has landed to wash in it as before. It is all quite sad. 

Yes, because I  considered them MY flock, after years of feeding them and their breeding in the garden [I often found empty egg shells]. The same mating pairs of wood-pigeons and collared doves and a very rautious jackdaw, and a large flock of hedge and house sparrows. The silence was overwhelming this morning. I just hope they return this Winter. 

How beautiful! Also, that the chickens presumbly accpt it? 

We have an injured jackdaw that lives with its mate in our garden, this morning when I let the chicken out and checked for eggs, there was the jackdaw, rather freaked out at me lifting the lid. I wonder if it gets in with the chickens as it knows its safe there?

Marianne72 said:

know the reasoning is good, leading hopefully to healthy birds, but I still can't help feeling guilty.

Guilt is horrible and sometimes it takes precedence over rationality. 

I saw the advice on Springwatch. It’s encouraging that the RSPB is engaged in ongoing research to help us do the best we can to promote healthy bird populations. The disease that can be caught from bird feeders and baths sounds ghastly.

Could the guilt you feel be exacerbated by loss and mourning for your feathered flock? 

I think it was on Spring watch they said you could still put out mealworms. 

It may be too late in the year now, but earlier we left our grass to grow long and the starlings found lots of crane fly larva. 

With the hot weather they could be grateful to have water in a bird bath if it is changed each day. The best one we have is shallow so tends to dry up after a day.

Yes, I am.

People say that they can get enough food anyway without feeders, but I wonder if this includes cities and other urban areas.

With the changes in farming habits and the loss of habitat for wildlife, birds have come into cities to find food which they now rely on.

Also, gardens are being lost and paved over everywhere and around 70% of the trees have been cut down in the area where I live as people don't seem to value them as the wildlife havens they are.

Suddenly all the food we were providing has been taken away, just when they are feeding their young.

They have to find a huge amount of bugs and seeds to survive and feed their young too.

UK flying insects have fallen by up to 65% in 20 years.

I've kept my sunflower seed feeders (hanging tube feeders) up but am cleaning them more regularly by soaking in water with bird disinfectant.

I also wipe around the feeding area (on the feeder itself) with alcohol wipes very regularly and clean underneath on the ground where some seed falls.

However, only a fat pigeon feeds on the ground.

Tables are where most viruses/germs can congregate.

I'm still getting blue t*ts, great t*ts and gold finches feeding their young from these feeders.

We can start feeding them again in October as the paracite is inactive over winter. There should be enough food for them at this time of year, although I've always felt I was helping the adults at least to get some food easily whilst they had a to hunt for insects for thier chicks.

You got there first! It is a sad thing for them to be dying from us trying help. :( 

The advice to stop feeding is based more on a disease that is decimating finch numbers Iain, but your advice still stands on just remembering why we need to stop feeding. 

We had just bought a window feeder and were enjoying it immensely when the advice came in to stop using those types of feeders entirely! A shame when it was still fairly new! 

You can still feed the birds, just the main change is away from seeds which attract finches who seem to suffer from the disease the worst, and use suet feeders etc. The great and blue *** have taken to robbing the food put out for the squirrel (some rather large sunflower seeds). I think you just have to be inventive.

In this particular case the reason for the direction is disease risk rather than dependency. There has been an increase and bird feeders are acting as prominent contaminant points

Marianne72 said:

I still can't help feeling guilty. Will they find enough to eat,

It probably helps to focus on the harm that you are doing by feeding them - making them depend on you so if you are unable to attend then they may struggle.

Are you feeling guilty about the problems the birds are facing or missing the gratification that you get from feeling they need you? Have we inadvertently trapped them into dependency?

I suspect they will quickly adapt back to foraging again once the easy pickings from humans are gone.

Rationalising it can help focus where our feelings are about the suffering of others or about our own neediness and once laid bare it is easier to process how you feel about it