Is it really better to leave your feeder empty in late summer? I keep going back and forth

Last week I noticed my sunflower seed stock was basically untouched for 14 days straight, and I started reading about how some folks pull feeders in August to force birds to find natural food. But 3 years ago when I tried that same thing here in Ohio, the chickadees and titmice disappeared from my yard for almost a month, and I felt like I'd broken some unspoken contract with them. On the other hand, I have a buddy who swears his empty feeder strategy cut down on house sparrow bullying by like 80 percent, and his bluebirds actually had a better nesting season. My gut says birds are smart enough to manage without me, but my heart loves the morning traffic jam of goldfinches at 7am. Anyone else tried the late summer break and seen a real difference in their regulars, or did they just move to the neighbor's yard?

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