I'm very upset and am turning to a group that might give me support. I have been blamed for the "bird problem" in our neighborhood by one of my neighors. She has asked me to take down two of my feeders because my feeding has caused too many birds to take up residence in her back yard (she can't enjoy her patio anymore) and one fell down her chimney and pooped on her oriental rug (why she has her damper open and the fireplace doors open in the summer, I don't know). She has contacted the Home Owner's association, copied some article from the humane society (I haven't seen it) and contacted other neighbors about my criminal act of "feeding the birds". On the phone I told her I was not going to take down two of my feeders because a bird pooped on her oriental rug and another one built a nest on her awning (evil, evil birds!). She has taken this to a higher level. Now I'm distraught because I don't want to have any bad blood with my neighbors (we all live in single family, detached houses), and my birds are the only activity I have that could remotely be called a "hobby" in my chaotic, pathetically busy life. I'm feeling attacked, but am unsure about what to do in this situation. Can anyone offer advice? Thanks in advance!
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Neighbor try to make me remove my feeders! (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter brenchin
- Start date
Shoot neighbour?
First of all, welcome to Birdforum.net
Tell her the poop adds to the originality of her oriental rug, and she's the only one who will have that particular pattern.
What type of birds seem to be the problem? If they are ground feeding birds, make sure no spillage is left on the ground etc from the feeders, and that you keep the area clean.
Regards
Tell her the poop adds to the originality of her oriental rug, and she's the only one who will have that particular pattern.
What type of birds seem to be the problem? If they are ground feeding birds, make sure no spillage is left on the ground etc from the feeders, and that you keep the area clean.
Regards
Nightranger
Senior Moment
Hi,
The rules and regulations are a little different in the UK but if you want to get in touch through the private message facility then I will be delighted to go through this with you. I am working on this problem here at the RSPB due to a recent case that reached the British Press. The RSPB advises that summer feeding can be useful to birds and this potentially clashes with environmental health advice. However, I have worked in environmental health from the education perspective so I know a little about this side too. However, I have not sorted out the various aspects of this subject so it is probably better if I do not comment too much on the forum itself - yet!
The rules and regulations are a little different in the UK but if you want to get in touch through the private message facility then I will be delighted to go through this with you. I am working on this problem here at the RSPB due to a recent case that reached the British Press. The RSPB advises that summer feeding can be useful to birds and this potentially clashes with environmental health advice. However, I have worked in environmental health from the education perspective so I know a little about this side too. However, I have not sorted out the various aspects of this subject so it is probably better if I do not comment too much on the forum itself - yet!
digi-birder
Well-known member
On behalf of admin and all the moderating team, let me wish you a warm welcome to Bird Forum.
I can't see how feeding birds in your garden can be classed as criminal. As Helen says, what birds are you feeding? And how many birds does your neighbour call too many? We get about 50-60 different birds in our garden at any one time, mostly sparrows.
Personally, having birds around would make me enjoy sitting on my patio even more.
Can you get any advice from any of the birding organisations in your area? Perhaps one of our American members can help you more on that one.
Hope you can get the matter sorted. It would be a shame if your neighbours deprived you of your pleasure in seeing the birds.
I can't see how feeding birds in your garden can be classed as criminal. As Helen says, what birds are you feeding? And how many birds does your neighbour call too many? We get about 50-60 different birds in our garden at any one time, mostly sparrows.
Personally, having birds around would make me enjoy sitting on my patio even more.
Can you get any advice from any of the birding organisations in your area? Perhaps one of our American members can help you more on that one.
Hope you can get the matter sorted. It would be a shame if your neighbours deprived you of your pleasure in seeing the birds.
alan_rymer
Well-known member
How many feeders do you actually have and how big is your back yard. How big is your neighbors back yard, and how close are the two feeders to here Patio.brenchin said:
Unless we have more info we cannot give serious advice!.
You may get comic advice though!.
Like:
I think Vultures looking at me on my Patio may make me a little nervous too!.
Oh, BTW, I feed Nyger Thistle which attracts the lovely Goldies and of course the Pine Siskins and Houses enjoy it too. I also feed a skinny tube and a large 'Yankee Flipper' worth of Dr. Geiss, which is loved by all, but unattainable by the larger Starlings and Black birds, due to size. Undesireables??? Yes, the Sparrows and House Finches may be called that, and I've even considered trying to reduce the feeding of Geis because that alone costs me 27.00 a week. Now my husband forbids me to stop, because he's mad at the 'evil bird hater' too. I could try a different seed in my two non-thistles, to try and discourage those brown undesirables, but don't know if it will help. Thanks for all the responses so far! Also, does anyone have a link to the Humane Society's letter, and also links to other research that refutes it would be great!
Her yard is 3 houses down from me--i.e. about 100 feet at least. My "yard" is small--maybe 500 square feet in the back--but my house backs up on the levee, and it's all greenbelt behind me. I've asked two of my closest neighbors if my feeding has caused them problems--one of them said no, the other said she didn't like the bird poop on her walkway to her front door--I may remove the side feeders just because of her, because she's very nice, but am still distraught about the thought of having to remove any of my feeders.
Her yard is 3 houses down from me--i.e. about 100 feet at least. My "yard" is small--maybe 500 square feet in the back--but my house backs up on the levee, and it's all greenbelt behind me. I've asked two of my closest neighbors if my feeding has caused them problems--one of them said no, the other said she didn't like the bird poop on her walkway to her front door--I may remove the side feeders just because of her, because she's very nice, but am still distraught about the thought of having to remove any of my feeders.
Alastair Rae
London birder
I can't seriously believe that a few sparrows & finches could upset people! As for droppings, a few tiny white spots spoils their walkway? Any dropping big enough to mess anything would have to come from something bigger than you're feeding.
Don't give up your feeders too easily.
Don't give up your feeders too easily.
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
helenol said:Brenchin, drag a couple of roadkills home, and leave it to the vultures. She'll soon have something to complain about
So this is how you get kites into your garden???!!!
Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
Surely the same birds that are annoying her on her patio won't be the same wild ones who are on your feeders? Do they sit around on the patio staring at her - or what? Lend the lady your bird identification book so she knows what she's looking at. That might make her more interested. Some people would be glad of hordes of birds on the patio to enjoy and look at.
Hope you get this sorted out in a friendly fashion.
Sandra
Hope you get this sorted out in a friendly fashion.
Sandra
craig whitmore
Well-known member
brenchin said:
Hi Lady: You mention the levee. Are you somewhere on the Sacramento? Do you suppose the culprit in the chimney could have been a chimney swift looking for a place to nest? If so, it's her problem, not yours. It's a long shot as they are certainly rare in California, but my 1990 Peterson says the range was extending West. ----What is Dr. Geiss? I've been considering getting a "Yankee Flipper" because of a squirrl problem. Would black-headed grosbeaks be too large to use it? I'm currently fattening up two famlies for their fall migration, and would not want to cut them off. Now, about the humane society article. Suppose this refers to the misinformation that bird feeders are harmful because they interfer with natural processes. Right? Wrong!!!! My son, an ornitholigist, who teaches eco biology at the university level, has 5, count em, 5 feeders in his yard. He also has a black tee shirt with several sizes of white blobs on it, and the birds common name under each blob. You might get one of those for your neighbor.
Craig
Last edited:
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
DKR said:
Are there any birds near by? Is it possible that you might get visitors to a feeder attached to one of your winows?
DKR
Northern Refugee
Elizabeth Bigg said:
Last Winter I bought a window feeder along with some RSPB seed. Despite being up for 6 months it was left untouched and began to go manky.
I don't think there are that many birds where I live. I have seen a Wagtail now and again and I think there are some Blackbirds but little else. My Auntie has an allotment so when I go home to Cumbria I buy a peanut bar or something similar for her to put up.
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Unless there's some HOA rule about feeding wildlife, I don't see how your neighbor can do anything about what goes on in your own back yard. Perhaps you could forestall her at the HOA itself by offering to do a small presentation at the next meeting, like a short slide show, about local bird species, how bird species the world over need all the human help they can get, especially as human development encroaches more and more into their haitat, and how lucky we should feel that any wild birds come in at all. Or if you're too shy to do that, maybe you could make a simple flyer/info sheet about the beautiful birds you've attracted to your yard with your feeders, and just pass those out to your neighbors (and especially to all HOA members).
Your neighbor sounds like a pretty miserable human being. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to see wild birds in their yard -- especially if they don't have to pay to feed 'em!
Good luck to you, and let us know how you fare, will you?
Your neighbor sounds like a pretty miserable human being. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to see wild birds in their yard -- especially if they don't have to pay to feed 'em!
Good luck to you, and let us know how you fare, will you?
Craig, I like the yankee flipper very much, but it only allows 4 to eat at one time. It really does work on the squirrels--a previous house we were living in had a huge squirrel population and I was the only one for miles feeding them (I guessed), so the yankee flipper came in very handy. Dr. Geis is a nice blend of black sunflowers, millet, peanuts and striped sunflower. Everybody seems to like it. I live in the San Francisco Bay area, on the bay (which explains the levee) in a development which is called Redwood Shores--a peninsula of reclaimed land that may sink into the Bay if we had another big quake. It's a lovely place to live and play, but for the snooty anti-nature lover-neighbors.
Rubberhead
Well-known member
Maybe your neighbor can hang up some plastic owls or hawks. She may also want to try putting out some rubber snakes.
If that doesn't work, I suggest she may need a boyfriend. :flowers:
If that doesn't work, I suggest she may need a boyfriend. :flowers:
snowyowl
Well-known member
If all else fails, what about a letter from a lawyer to warn her that you are going to sue because she has interferred with your enjoyment of your garden plus all the pain and suffering she has caused you?
I admit that I say this somewhat tongue in cheek but at the same time it just might work.
I admit that I say this somewhat tongue in cheek but at the same time it just might work.
