I keep the feeding station in garden filled all year through in order to deviate the birds away from the insects.
Sunflower seeds are very popular with the tits who deposit empty shells all over the ground.
To my amazement I saw several Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) [1] eat from the shells. However after some research this turns out not so amazing as they feed on seeds and Sunflower seeds are one of their favourites [2].
This couple went so far as to snack while mating, they are animals!
Another two specimen.
Literature
1 Nederlands Soortenregister2 KRISTENOVA, Marta; EXNEROVA, Alice; ŠTYS, PAVEL. Seed preferences of Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae): Are there specialized trophic populations?. European Journal of Entomology, 2011, 108.4.
