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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • NASA's new wheels 10/11/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, October 11, 2008 Bird lovers reeling over sky-high seed prices By Sharon Wootton Herald Columnist Yikes! I bought two 40-pound bags of sunflower seeds last week and each was $30 – on sale – $10 more than last year's price. Talk about sticker shock! I don't know how that's going to affect you, but for those like me, who use at least 200 pounds a year at several feeders, it's going to lead to menu alterations. The skyrocketing cost is not limited to the much-desired sunflower seeds; even the lowly wild-bird mix prices are rising. "Bird seed costs have escalated tremendously in the past year … due to many factors, one of them being the (scarcity of) premium black-oil sunflower seeds which is in most of the majority of good seed blends," said Michele McAllister, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited on Evergreen Way. A big factor was the thousands of acres of sunflower fields turned into corn for biofuels. "With the price of seed astronomical, there was no way to get the margins we could get. That's gone. Lots of smaller retailers have quit carrying as much," McAllister said. McAllister countered with a daily savings club, where for an annual fee, members could get 15 percent off any bird seed every day. "It's a scary business to be in, (but) people are still going to feed their birds," McAllister said, although many are experimenting with less-expensive or longer-lasting alternatives. The increased cost is the result of other variables, too: Bird seeds such as sunflower, safflower and millet are sold on the commodity markets just like corn and soybeans and are just as vulnerable to real and perceived factors that drive that market. Prices often fluctuate depending on good or bad harvests. There has been major crop damage in various regions around the world. Higher fuel prices have driven up the cost of shipping. The anti-trans-fat trend means that more foods are cooked in sunflower oil (example: Frito Lay potato chips) because the seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Those hardest hit by these large increases will be older people on fixed incomes whose lives are enhanced by the world of birds at nearby feeders. If you're looking for alternatives to seed feed, forget bread crumbs. It's not nutritional and will not supply the high-energy calories the birds need to stay warm. Suet (high-energy animal fat) may be a cheaper alternative, depending on what happens to the suet prices. Changing seed types also may mean a shift in species; sunflower seeds draw the greatest variety of birds to your feeder, in part because of its oil content, in part because the thin shells are easy to crack. And there's no help from the Internet on this issue. I found a 50-pound bag for $23.67 but the shipping cost was $33.45. An avian diet may be in the offing. It won't hurt the birds (they have natural restaurants to frequent), but it may lessen our minutes of joy. Fish and fall: Pacific Northwest is running a float trip on the Skagit River through Edmonds Parks & Recreation. Rafters will see fall color and spawning salmon. Lunch is included in the $55 fee. For more information, go to www.reczone.org or call 425-771-0230. Ice Age adventures: The focus is on Ice Age mammals, the Clovis culture and geology Oct. 18 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Investigate ancient lava, ice, and water flows with interactive exhibits and view the museum's 11,000-year-old Clovis points excavated from the East Wenatchee Clovis site in 1990. Children can watch flint knapping demonstrations, make a rock collection, and take an up-close look at remains of ice age mammoths with author Patricia Clark. The 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. event costs $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children ages 12-18, $2 for ages six to 11. For more information, visit www.wenatcheevalley.org. Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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