One of the challenges in living thirty miles away from the nearest wild bird or backyard nature supply shop is that of obtaining high quality seed – especially black oil sunflower seed. While bags marked as such are readily available in the local market, the content of those bags leaves much to be desired.
Take, for example, the above photo of the seed from the most recent bag I purchased at the nationally-owned chain market / hardware / variety store that is the dominant retail hub in our little town. Rather than the uniform sea of semi-glossy black seeds that one would prefer to feed the visitors to the local feeders, this lot contained sticks, twigs, unidentifiable hulls of a variety of different seeds, and even bits of particle board. Aside from the fact that such things are not desirable or healthy offerings to the visiting avifauna, they add to the weight of the overall batch, meaning that the forty pounds of seed indicated on the label is probably more like thirty-eight (or perhaps even less) with the remainder being these odd inedible bits of filler.
Did I just make this discovery? No, I’ve known for some time that purchasing black oil sunflower seed, as well as other food for wild birds, at all too many of the mass-market variety stores that dominate the retail landscape of rural America (and increasingly many other nations around the world as well) is both a qualitative and an economic mistake. However at the time this last batch was purchased I had just found my seed bin empty and did not have the time to make the drive into the city to patronize my regular wild bird specialty shop (in my case, Backyard Bird Shop) found there.
Well no more – I am turning over a new leaf. From now on, I will pay closer attention to the level of my seed bin and purchase accordingly during supply trips into the city. Should I find myself unexpectedly out of seed, I will simply ask the birds to excuse the empty feeders for a day or two until my next trip to the city.
If you are fortunate enough to have a wild bird or nature specialty shop near you, I encourage you support them by purchasing your supplies there. This doesn’t mean you should avoid the “big guys” entirely – some do have individual managers dedicated to stocking quality wild bird food and other backyard nature supplies, and I would in no way wish to demean their efforts. However the odds are far better that you will get the high level of quality products you are seeking at one of the thousands of independent or franchised wild bird specialty stores spread throughout the nation. Even, if like me, this requires a little extra effort, the results are worth it.
Peace and good bird watching.
