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Hi all
My disagreeable next door neighbour has placed a bird scarer on the outside of their bedroom window nearest to my garden, and it is angled directly into my garden, towards the place where all of the nesting tits, robins and nuthatches feed inside their Guardian cages, and where the great spotted woodpecker feeds on the peanut feeder.
It covers a range of 1500 square feet, which is quite a large part of my garden.
This is what it looks like: http://www.pitchcare.com/shop/repellents/model-mp1-silent-bird-scarer.html
I believe that it's the kind of bird scarer that farmers use on their crops to scare birds away from seeded areas. Although I can't hear any high pitched noise, it clicks constantly and it's loud enough that I can hear it from the other side of my garden.
Is there anything I can do about this? I can't see why she should be allowed to scare birds from my garden. If she had placed it flat on the window, then presumably it would scare birds from her garden. That would be up to her, but to deliberately angle it so that it points directly at my garden seems a bit rich.
She has an excessively high and very dense conifer hedge ( approximately 18 feet high) that attracts lots of birds in the area, as they are really tall trees that they can easily nest in. There are robins, chaffinches, tits, starlings, blackbirds and wood pigeons all nesting in her conifers at the moment. By scaring them she may disrupt their breeding. I'm sure she isn't allowed to do that.
There is no discussing anything nicely to this person. She is a crank, and her opinion is the only one that counts. So I'm not sure where to start to even look for help.
Best wishes Chris
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What a horrid person your neighbour must be. I know there are rules on the use of audible scarers but I am not aware of any info on sonic type scarers. I do know they have to have a clear line of sight to work properly Surely there must be something to stop her aiming this device directly at your garden and endangering breeding birds.I'm sure there will be someone who visits the forum. who can put you in touch with the right people.Good luck, I will watch with interest.
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
Hi Chris
What a horrible, nasty person to be so ignorant of birds, and their survival in this world. This world has them sadly, and I will not repeat what I would like to do to them for mocking and tormenting birds - and people who enjoy wildlife.
They are like children and need lots of attention from a grown up to feed their 'pathetic' little needs short of a dummy in the mouth. Grrrr....
I wonder if there is something you could do. Most importantly, I would steer clear of her all together and see what you can do to help your birds. Having any confrontation is what this person wants, and it will only get worse for yourself. It will turn into a Neighbour from Hell dispute for you.
Having a chat with one of the mods on this Forum - they may give you ideas how to counteract this horrible persons idea of sick fun. A private mail to the RSPB, or ringing someone up to get some good advice will help too.
IMHO, I think it is illegal what she is doing as it will be 'causing' problems for nesting birds and it is illegal going under all the laws which are enforced for this reason to protect birds.
Just be careful this person does not take it upon herself to look at this forum too! There is nought as strange as people in this world
There will others who opinions will be a strong as mine for what you are going through at the moment.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi Judi and Kathy
I will try phoning as many sources as I can tomorrow to find out if she can actually direct it into my garden rather than her own. There is no dealing with such a small minded individual. She stopped speaking to us when I started feeding birds, and I can tell you that was no loss.
I haven't been here all day today, but there were wood pigeons sitting in the tree when I arrived home, so it might not even work to scare them off. Or possibly it might not work against smaller birds.
I will see what happens tomorrow when I put out the normal food.
Just another thought here.
I know of someone on another forum and she had trouble with her neighbour (names/places not mentioned but story relevant)
She lived in a shared communical garden, and her 'nasty' indirect neighbour caused all sorts of problems for her. This neighbour believed that Feral Pigeons where poo-ing all over her window sills. This nasty neighbour blamed all of her problems on this person for having bird feeders in the shared garden area.
This person was told to take down her feeders due to the Feral Pigeons landing on her neighbours window sills and leaving a lot of poo. The Feral Pigeons where attracted to the food which was not true at all. A letter from the council was the nasty surprise she got out of the blue and that is what this person received
The result from all this unpleasantness was how to deal with her neighbour. I suggested 'special' sticky stuff that you can buy to deter pigeons as it makes them feel insecure if they sit on your window sills. So there are products on the market which deter pigeons without harming them
I wonder if this is what your neighbour is getting at in her own indirect way with the bird scarer. she has some problem with birds - maybe she hates them or is frightened of them. It is not excuse to upset nature which is doing her no harm.
Same principle, same nasty minded person. I hope the scarer is a dud, and a waste of her money.
Honestly Wodpecker some people!!!!
If she were reasonable you could ask her to re-site and re-aim it buts that obviously not an option. i like the comment re the laws about disturbing birds.
2 suggestions - if you don't get anywhere with this can I suggest that you wait till she goes off on holiday (an assumption there) sneak over in the night and redirect it!!! Or if you think she won't notice disconnect it in some way whilst she's not there!!!! Water and electricity dont work do they?!!!
sorry i can't be more helpful BUT REALLY some people!!!
Lyndsey
I didn't get to be stupid by being blonde, I was stupid enough to pay to be blonde!!!
Sorry our posts overlapped each other
I would just do what you do normally, and that is put out food for the birds in your garden - it is your garden after all and not for anyone to make decisions about.
Some people only think of themselves, and that is all that they do think about. To hell with any offensive behaviour that they throw at others.
I am sure one of the moderators will advise you tomorrow on this Forum once they read this thread.
I noticed that the Bird Scarer is over £100 so this person must have money to throw about.
Woodpecker,
have done a bit of research for you.
On the RSPB website there is a section on the law and you can report abuse there. I'm sure it is illegal to disturb birds that are building nests, sitting on eggs, feeding young and young birds. But in your case this seems a little bit grey
BUT
I also typed in the phrase "bird scarers and the law uk" and came up with a website from South Norfolk council, their environmental dept the sort of place that would deal with noisy neighbours etc???. From reading that it would seem to me that you could contact the environmental dept of your local council council as that site says these devices should only be used where justified, it shoud not sound more than 4x an hour, shouldn't be used b4 sunrise or after sunset AND should be positioned CAREFULLY to ensure thay are not pointing towards or too close to residential properties in the area. I would think that your neighbour cannot fulfill any of these requirements!!! another similar site says they should be at least 200 metres away from the nearest house!!!
So I would phone your local dept as well as contacting the RSPB.
i hope this is a bit more help than sabotage!!!
flippin computer crashed b4 I could finish!!! Grrrrrr
Now I can't tell you what to do etc and don't wish to sound dogmatic but if I were in your shoes I would phone the RSPB and ask for adivice, taking notes of what they say especially of the name of any act she may be contravening. Then as you can hear it in your garden I would phone your Envirnmental heath dept again taking notes etc. If you know the neighbour to her other side it might be worth chatting to them as well. Or any others who's garden backs on to hers and gather their views.
I would then wirte her a letter saying that as you are neighbours and you don't wish to fall out (she may be unreasonable but there is no need for you to be) you think she ought to be aware that you can hear this scarer thingy in your garden, there's no reason why you couldn't exagerate a litttle and say also in the house!!!. As summer in coming you would quite like to be able to sit out in the grden peacefully.Because of this you have checked with the above authorities and they have advised you that she could well be in contravention of these acts, giving the full name and date etc of them. Then say you havn't reported it offically and want to give her a chance to sort it out.
As I said above she is almost certainly in contravention of the environmental side and telling her so may just make her her take it down!!!! But and its a big but if she doesnt act on your nice friendly letter, you would then have to be prepared to make formal complaints!!! But at this stage I wouldn't threaten her with that. Also i would keep a copy of the letter and make put the notes you have taken onto your computer with the dates and times and the name of the person you have spoken too.
As you said from what I've read these are devices that are meant for farmers etc, nothing I've read looks like they are intended for domestic use!!!
Hope I've not rattled on too much and not been dogmatic!!
Hi Lyndsey & Kathy
Thank you both for your replies.
The wood pigeons are attracted to her high hedge as their primary nesting site, and they have always nested there ever since I have lived in the house, so nothing has changed there.
Lyndsey I will investigate the law and bird scarers thoroughly so that I know what I'm doing before I decide how best to proceed.
I have just put my usual food out this morning, and all that has happened so far is that the woodpecker has failed to show up.
Thanks again and Best wishes Chris
Hi poor you. Im sure there must be some law about scaring brds whic are breeding. Shame your neighbor doesnt know what she is missing. What greater pleasure can there be than watching birds with their crazy antics. Good luck. Hope you get a solution to this problem.
Birds Rule