The consensus in the bird feeding community is that the winter of 2009-2010 will be slower than recent years. Seed sellers report less bird feed being sold. Many individuals with backyard feeders are reporting fewer birds at their feeders.

What's up? Is it the economy? Are there fewer birds? Is it something else? My guess is that it is something else, although I would not fight with anyone trying to argue the other two points.

In my yard, the feeders were relatively inactive until the pre-Christmas snow. Then my feeders were mobbed and I refilled three times a day instead of once a day as I was doing in November and December. Normal for me is twice daily and that is holding as the cold snap continues.

In the days immediately after the rain melted our snow, I watched a flock of goldfinches feeding vigorously in a clump of oenothera just a few wing flaps from my feeders. My guess is that the wonderful growing year in 2009 produced an abundance of wild seeds and berries that reduces the urgency the birds have to visit our feeders.

That leads us to the sometimes-controversial question. Why do we feed birds? Is it for them or is it for us? I cling to the idea, possibly naive, that the answer is both. In reality, the birds don't need us but will gratefully accept our offerings, which increases our enjoyment of them.

My guess is the only time the birds might suffer is if you were to stop feeding at the onset of a big snowstorm. If the weather is normal and you let your feeders fall empty for a few days, I doubt if it really matters. At best you were just one of many sources of food for your birds.

If you are a veteran feeder, I would be happy to receive your helpful ideas. If you are a beginner or thinking about starting I'll share my history and some ideas.

Start with black oil sunflower seeds. Lots of birds favor these. I started with sunflower seeds and a mid-priced seed mixture. Now I lace the seed mixture with additional sunflower seeds and my feeders are cleaned up.

At the outset, the birds were leaving much of the cracked corn and Milo/sorghum seed that is the basis of all but the most expensive commercial mixed seeds. Sparrows seem to be the chief consumers for the corn and Milo/sorghum seed.

To date this year I have seen at least five different sparrows at my feeders without being unblessed with English or house sparrows.

I also put out suet cakes, which is a favorite of woodpeckers and nuthatches. This year I added a feeder for Niger seed for the finches. I did this well aware that Niger seed is expensive. To my surprise, it has not been a big hit yet. My finches seem to be staying with the black oil sunflower seeds and only rarely clinging to the Niger feeder.

My next adventure is to create a peanut butter log. That will be a rescued piece of firewood with some holes drilled and filled with peanut butter. From there who knows.

Right now I can count on seeing between 15 and 20 different birds at my feeders on any given day. Nothing unexpected but I keep hoping. A Carolina wren just perched on my windowsill and two cardinals just flashed by. Guess I better check my feeders.