New idea, to get opinions on?

  ~The past few years the birds have eaten my freshly planted seeds, so i was thinking of growing starters in a protected area, but watering the area to be planted, so i can kill the weeds that will grow there BEFORE i put my starters in?~

I would not try to kill the weeds.  Instead, use "chop and drop" so that the soil will gain that nutrition.

This!

https://permies.com/t/98150/Build-abundance-chop-drop

And there is a PEP BB (Badge Bit) for that:

https://permies.com/wiki/98575/Chop-Drop-PEP-BB-gardening

Look up 'stale seedbed' Kathy, that is similar to what you are proposing. Basically you encourage the seeds on the surface that are likely to germinate to do so, then hoe them off before sowing the plants you actually want. As Anne says however, the weeds are thought to be good for the soil - both the roots and the top growth can add structure, feed soil organisms, and top growth can act as a soil protector and mulch depending on the weed and the plants you want to grow.
You could try some experiments and see what works best in your soil/climate area. Everywhere is different. I find hoeing off doesn't usually work for me because in my damp climate the weeds just carry on growing on the surface! However chop and dropping when the weeds are a bit bigger can smother the roots out.

I would not try to kill the weeds.  Instead, use "chop and drop" so that the soil will gain that nutrition.   or hoe  I have tons of grass when I mow.  Can't collect, except by rake, wet grass will clog my rider.
so look to collect organic things for compost.  chop and drop, or just drop what you pull up. I refill beds with the a lot of grass.   In fact I have too much grass!  My composts are ~full.  I just load up trash cans, or wire cages.

Could build another wire cage.

I have similar thoughts.  When I plant from seed, most things get eaten by one thing or another.  This year I tried some half tubes made by cutting hardware cloth (why do they call it that?) with a wire cutter, to form tunnels a few inches high.  This saved my lettuce seedlings.  I also went back to Steve Solomon's methods on a large bed of corn and beans and squash -- cultivate weekly to kill all weeds and make a dust mulch.  After a bit the garden plants get big and dominate the planting.  But my sense is that the soil isn't as happy, I think it requires a soil very rich in organic matter to start with, and would like more organic matter added as the season goes by.  

When I do chop and drop, I tend to get distracted and then the weeds outgrow the garden plants and either that's that, or I come back eventually and repeat, but by then the garden plants have been set back by a few weeks.  

I also notice that there are two crops of weed seeds:  the cool weather and the warm weather.  So you can clear a bed of weeds and then there will be a new batch starts up around the solstice.  

And I have a theory that here in NE CT, where we have wet springs and then often a dry spell come July/August, it might be good to cultivate and dust mulch until the solstice, and then put on a lot of mulch after that.  

I have one patch of good soil that I cleared in the spring, added some compost, and scattered a wild flower seed mix.  There turned out to be weed seeds in the compost and they took off with great gusto, leaving me with one or two stray wildflowers poking out.  Had the tallest lambs-quarters plant ever though.  

I vote you follow your plan, and continue cultivating for a bit after you transplant in your seedlings, then mulch well once they're solidly established.  But no harm leaving some weeds if you can stay on top of the chop and drop routine.

I have no luck with direct seeding either. This year I am trying to put seeds in Fukuoka balls. When it rains, I'd let you know if the seeds sprout.

I feel that plants can benefit from soil health.

I also believe that when the soil is healthy there are fewer bugs.

The quick and easy way to build soil may be just to mulch with wood chips.

Leaves are also a gardeners friend.

Bryant said, "Plants obtain nutrients from two natural sources: organic matter and minerals, the plants use exudates (phyto to call out to the microorganisms and primary beneficial predator organisms for what they need at that time in the way of nutrients.

https://permies.com/t/63914/Soil#549590

https://permies.com/t/75805/John-Kempf-healing-soil-healthy

I googled lawn that would suppress weeds, and have deep roots.  Can up with an answer, however spring planting.  and sort of expensive too.