my two joys in life is growing veg and feeding the birds
Although this sounds as sensible as collecting stuff so you can throw it away (don't ask) - there is actually a way of making it work.
You only feed the birds that eat insects.
Lots of birds eat anything and everything but you can narrow the odds dramatically by only putting out fat.
Especially in Winter.
Apparently insects are mostly fat (in terms of food value).
There are unnatural numbers of many vegetarian birds (and pest birds) anyhow - there wouldn't be a tenth as many if big farms didn't grow veg via monoculture.
Monoculture plus insecticides means the most rare, useful and beautiful birds die of starvation amongst 'plenty'.
The real pest birds (and other vermin as well) would be ten times less again if we didn't litter the place (intentionally or unintentionally) with absurd concentrations of easy vegetarian food (and waste junk food) that would be totally unknown in a natural environment.
Do all you can to support your local robin - but don't try to help vermin to extinction via carb-fuelled obesity - it doesn't work.
And if you get the chance then shoot your local pigeons with extreme prejudice...
