If there's that much waste then you may want to think about changing to a more efficient feeder first. If we feed the birds then eventually, every one of us will have the same issue. I for one, changed to a deeper feeder and then modified the bottom seed tray to be even deeper than the original manufactured design. Now, about the only seed debris I have is from sunflower shells and those are not bad at all. In any case, your ground cloth idea would probably work but do you want to be constantly sweeping/cleaning IT off just as you do now? If you feed the birds then it IS always an issue but I know of no good way to train the birds to not to be quite so messy... Steve in TX

Honey, Salt and Milk are listed in the top 10 bad foods to feed to birds. I know it's a hard decision for you to make between giving the bird feeds to your pet since it was a present or throw it away to avoid anything bad to your birds. If I were you, I would not give the feeds to your pet since it's so dangerous. Anyway, it's still up to you what you are going to do. It's just my advice.

I put out birdfood all year round (no bears here). In the summer I want to attract birds to my yard so they'll find the insects, particularly caterpillars, while they're here. The feeders give them guaranteed food, but I see them in the trees and foraging in the lawn or garden as well. Water is also important - some birds will come for the water but not the feeders. A few months ago (late spring) there was a sudden unexplained lack of birds and that coincided with an infestation of winter moth caterpillars and then gypsy moth caterpillars, and some trees were seriously defoliated. This has never happened before when the birds were in the yard. The birds are back now but the damage was done. Feeding the birds doesn't seem to disrupt their migration cycles. The grackles left when the fledglings were ready for a long flight and the orioles may have left too, even though I have the same food out for them. I like to think they were fat and healthy when it was time to leave. Claire

What do the birds look like they you are trying to identify? Right now theres a lot of warblers in the Valley. Orange crowned and yellow rumped are the most common. They are insect eaters though and you will see them in your trees and bushes but not at the feeders. Theres lots of white crowned sparrows here right now as well, and they come to feeders regularly, as do Abert's towhees. I saw quite a few lesser goldfinches at the Rio Salado Habitat Area last weekend and they are nyjer lovers so you might be getting them, too along with the house finches. I don't know if the mimids come to feeders often but tue curve billed thrashers and the northern mockingbirds have been going crazy establishing their breeding territories right now and so have the phainopeplas (plus the mistletoe is ripe so they are especially abundant in areas where its plentiful). Then theres always the gila woodpeckers of course. They use my suet and before I had to buy a different style of hummingbird feeder to keep the bees out, they would drink the sugar water I put out. I also have a rock wren who lives in the neighborhood that comes and pokes around my potted cacti looking for bugs and a Say's phoebe who drinks out of the bird "bath" from time to time. So thats some of what I've been seeing around here. Of course I live in a crowded new housing development surrounded by alphalpha fields and more crowded housing tracts. If you are near more open country and have a mire spacious landscape you'll probably be seeing a lot more diversity that I only get to sre when I go "out and about." If you have any pictures or want to try and describe what you're seeing (I'm not as good with descriptions... 100% visual/tactile learner here haha) we can figure them out I bet!