I guess I will have to get back to trying to locate wild birds. When I moved here I tried that for a while with little success. Came to rely on DNR chickens. I live in SE Wisconsin, and usually hunt a few mornings a week. Tough to drive too far and make it home by late morning.
I'm always a little weary when someone says "I've never seen birds around here" especially when you've been seeing them. That makes me think there's quite a few birds around.