In order to have a page about the diet of birds and the type of feeders they prefer, I first decided to organize them into three groups-- the birds often seen at our feeders; the ones seen equally at feeders and foraging in nature; and the group of birds that never feed at a feeder.  The theory seemed ideal, until I tried to organize pictures and information.  It was as if I had tried to line up the birds themselves.  Some things defy outlines and lists.

All birds derive most of their diet, in warmer weather at least, from nature. (Grain, flower, grass and even seeds from trees; insects in trees, on the ground, and flying in the air;  nuts, fruit, and berries from trees and bushes; invertebrates, other birds' eggs, even garbage and carrion. But still they eat frequently from our feeders (it almost seems as if they eat constantly from our feeders- even in summer).

After searching my photo files, I realized that a lot fewer photos were taken of birds feeding on the natural things we hadn't provided first-hand. Feeders are conveniently placed near the large windows, along with water sources and branches and bushes positioned nearby. This often makes for great photos (if the windows are clean and the sun is just right).  But natural food can be found anywhere-- tree tops, under raspberry bushes, in the hedges, in snags and branch piles and behind and between out buildings and ,ugh, even on the roadside. Any great photos of birds feeding in outer locations are often taken by lucky chance.

So we're going ahead with a chart based on the observations of many. Added to this will be a few exceptions to the rules, from our own backyard and its cast of unruly thousands.