The parakeets consume mostly seed (and a prodigious amount of it, too, I might), but every so often I dig up some dandelion greens for them.  The plants are pesticide-free and full of nutrition. 

Interestingly, though, when I’m actually looking for weeds, I have trouble finding them. Or I should say, when I’m looking for dandelion greens I have trouble finding them. They’re increasingly pushed out by the Japanese stiltgrass. 

Ah yes, it’s a battle of the weeds in our yard, with the much-preferred dandelions on the losing end of the scale. Which means that when I do score a clump of them, Alfie and Bart tuck in with all the ardor those little beaks can muster. 

In my more earnest moments, I think the birds have the right idea: eating seeds and greens — and singing their hearts out the rest of the time.