"Roger Tonkin" wrote in message
...

Although I've been aware of it, until all the snow
this week I've never wondered why so much niger seed
seems to be thrown onto the ground by the burds.

Is it really just discarded, or does niger seed,
despite its small size have a hard seed case that the
birds have to remove, and that is what I see scattered
on top of the snow?


It is definitely the whole seed, as numerous seedlings under my niger feeder
will testify.
R.