While the screech owls had eggs of nestlings in the owlbox, I stopped putting out seed and suet for our yard birds, in hopes that the owls wouldn't get mobbed every time they stuck their heads out of the opening.

   The plan worked great, but it had some unexpected results as well.

   Without the inducements of suet and seeds, the only birds we saw in the backyard on a regular basis were robins and hummingbirds.

   Thursday morning was cool, and when I opened the blinds I noticed something unusual: Some feeder birds were back.

   A red-bellied woodpecker was perched on the empty suet feeder, and a male cardinal was perched on the seed feeder. Both were looking at the house.

   Maybe it was my imagination, but it was as though they were saying "Feed us."

   Since the baby owls had been gone from the nesting box for a week now, I thought it might be time to start feeding the other birds again.

   In no time, I had dozens of birds -- nuthatches, chicadees, sparrows, grackles, starlings, mourning doves, downy woodpeckers, redbellies, a blue jay.

     All the old usual suspects.

    With the owls and wood ducks gone, it's great to have them back.

    There are those who say you should only feed the birds in winter, when they have trouble finding food.

    I think that it's OK to feed the birds year-round, so long as you are not in bear country, and so long as you do not feed the ducks or geese.

   I am not sure whether there is a right or wrong answer. In the meantime, the birds add life, color and motion to the backyard.