So the question is - Should we maintain artificial feeding places or not?

In March 2002 the Washington Post published an article on the downside of bird feeders.  And on Dec. 27th the Wall Street Journal published an article making many of the same points.

Naturally, each time I ran out and sterilized the feeder.

Here is more info on diseases at feeders.  There are other hazards of course.  We have had several birds fly into our windows, despite artificial owls and spider webs.  To my knowledge we do not have other critters working on the feed.  And we don't have a cat issue.

So we ran a little poll, now closed, to find out if the feeder should stay.  The result?  Keep the feeder, but keep it clean.  So that is what we are doing.

If you feel strongly one way or another,