Thursday, 17 January 2013

A Dilemma.

I started feeding the birds the first winter I lived here. I wanted to help them through the lean time, and I expect I did. But it leaves me with a dilemma.

When the weather is as consistently cold as it is at the moment, the birds become frantic. The ground remains frozen and there are no seeds or berries to be had (for some reason, the ivy hasn’t fruited this year – presumably because of the exceptionally wet summer.) And so they’re turning to me, and the job of keeping them supplied is almost full time.

No doubt I’m helping some to survive who would otherwise die of cold and starvation. That seems good. On the other hand, they’re dependent on me, and that doesn’t. What does one do? Harden the heart and let nature take its course? There’s a certain rightness about that, but I would find it extremely difficult to do.

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