Dear bird-feeding friends, today I came across a reminder that molding feed can cause trouble.

The fungus Aspirilla can cause an infection that blinds small birds such as finches, and on my early morning walk there was a finch in the road so infected that both eyes were shut. This little bird may be OK after treatment, but it was a near thing that she wasn’t run over.

So, if you feed the birds please make sure to clean out the feeders frequently. Rainy and humid weather makes seed unhealthy. Also, spread the information so that infection among the birds doesn’t spread.

— Liese Sadler

Salisbury