I have a bird feeder. It's called a lawn. Got ready to go out to the garden
this morning, but when I looked out the front window, there were 218 billion
birds having some sort of feast on the lawn. Maybe I'm exaggerating and it
was only 183 million. More than I've ever seen on my lawn at one time. I
decided to read the newspaper for 1/2 hour until they're done.

I don't understand the fascination with bird feeders. I don't live in a
wildlife sanctuary. I'm in a "regular neighborhood". There's no shortage of
birds. Friends who have feeders don't seem to attract anything more exotic
than what I see in my yard. This is upstate NY. What do some people hope to
attract with their feeders? Cockatiels?


wrote in message
...
when it comes to hantavirus it is both the feces and dried urine as well
as the dead
dried bodies that can pass disease. It isnt up to us to decide the risk
factor for
others. I dont mind snakes, but then I live where there are no poisonous
snakes at
all and grew up here. people down south have a much different view and I
have to
respect their dislike.

sick animals dont always "act oddly". happily, rodents dont pass rabies.
but even
mice scurrying around in the back yard can spread the ticks of lyme
disease up in our
neck of the north so we dont leave food around that would draw them, and
discourage
people from putting out bird feeders that would draw them in.

INgrid

On Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:25:31 -0500, wrote:
We get a few cases and a couple of deaths state wide a year from bird
flu - lots more people die in car accidents. I can't see condemning
the species squirrel (or bird) over a remote possibility. Same goes
for rabies. Obviously, if an animal is acting oddly, don't engage it
but the media seems to enjoy public hysteria, imo.

Kate