We love having out back yard filled with birds. Thus we have put up a variety of wonderful bird feeders. We also make lots of water available for the birds. the result is a 2 and a half year old that can identify about 8 birds in the back yard. 

We recently had a guest that politly lectured us on how "un-cool" we were creating an dependency for the birds on our seed. How the commercially available seed as like "junk food" -- and that when winter comes (we are in Minnesota) that the birds wont migrate as they should expecting food from us. I felt well chastised. 

Are there ways to attract and feed the birds without being so irresponsible?