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Neighbour complaint about feeding the birds

alisonc2095046433
05/06/2015 22:50
New people moved in to the house whose back garden backs onto our back garden. I have fed the birds for years but she came round yesterday to complain. She said she was asking me nicely to stop feeding the birds as they were making a mess on her patio furniture, washing and car. I have a lot of starlings visiting and I know they are noisy, they squabble a lot and poo a lot. They have had a successful breeding season and are flying around in a flock that can be about 60 birds, the majority being juveniles. She has threatened me with environmental health if I don't stop, which doesn't seem friendly to me. No one else has complained in the 7 years we have lived here. Now that the youngsters are fledged and independent I have started to gradually reduce feeding to encourage more natural feeding but I am not about to stop altogether. The blackbirds are still collecting for their babies so I will continue to put out food for them, though when the starlings descend the food quickly vanishes. I was feeding about 4 times a day but have already reduced that to 3 and today have only fed twice. Any advice on what course of action I will need to take, have never been threatened like this before and am a little worried.
  • 0 06/06/2015 21:23 in reply to alisonc2095046433

    alisonc2095046433 said:

    Thanks for that, not exactly pretty but not hugely expensive

    I hope that was referring to the bird proofing and not my Frisky Feral lol

    Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos

    (One bush does not shelter two Robins)

    Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)

     

  • 0 06/06/2015 23:19 in reply to Catlady

    Thank you catlady, what really irks is they have just moved in and the first time we speak they complain, yet I've been feeding birds here since we moved in 7 years ago. And the amount of birds visiting is not yet at its peak. Blackbirds still have nestlings and the starlings will no doubt have a second brood. By autumn the flock coming into the garden could be 100 strong before they disperse for the winter. Never had a neighbour like them before, it does not bode well for a harmonious future. But onwards and upwards I am still feeding and we will see what happens next.

  • 0 06/06/2015 23:22 in reply to alisonc2095046433

    Monkeycheese it was most certainly not referring to your Frisky Feral, they would be welcome here though no doubt the neighbour would have something to say about it. I did indeed mean the spikes, rather prison wall looking but if it has to be then I will fit them.

  • 0 09/07/2021 08:34
    Wow. So people have politely asked you to do something that is causing them distress. And as a neighbour you are continuing to do this. Out of some habitual thing you have got going on. You are obviously the one that is not being neighbourly in this situation. I imagine the noise and the damage to their furniture is enough for them to say something but you want to continue doing this. Wether they are 'newbies' or not (Wendy) doesn't mean they can't be affected by your selfish actions. Maybe previous neighbours did not care about their belongings or the noise or the wildlife that you are attracting to their area. I am going through a similar issue and you have no idea the anxiety that you are causing the people that pay money to live where they live. I think the attitudes expressed in this thread are non other than disgusting and selfish. The birds do not need your help. Stubbornness is the issue here not the birds wellbeing.
  • 0 18/07/2021 15:51
    I had a similar problem. I decided not to feed the birds. I realised that the person that complained about me feeding the birds, complained about other petty issues to others tenants too. These individuals are belligerent, unhappy about their own lives and want to make mountains out of molehills. In reality it is not about birds or anything else for that matter
  • 0 10/11/2021 01:03
    My mum is having the exact same problem. She received a very aggressive and threatening letter from the man next door. She is 88 and mostly housebound. She feeds the birds once a day with a cup of seed and a slice of bread. She has two fat ball feeders and 1 with peanuts for the squirrels. She has lived in this house and fed the birds for over 40 years. He is saying she excessively feeds them. She also has a small section of her garden left in a natural state. It has a few trees some ivy and a blackberry bush. He has said she needs to get rid of it as there are rats in it. There definitely aren’t.. she has a gardener every two weeks. He is threatening to take it further if she doesn’t stop. I am very angry as he harassed her for months earlier in the year as he wanted to replace her very nice fence. She said no but he did it anyway. Now he’s doing this. Any advice would be good
  • 0 10/11/2021 08:29
    All I can say is that I am still feeding the birds, my only concession is to stop putting seed on the ground for the pigeons, hasn't stopped them coming as they clean up spilled seed from the feeders but may have reduced them. I also had/have no rats. I have proved this with a trail cam which has never recorded a rat. I have seen the occasional mouse but with my cat and countless other neighbourhood cats all visiting the garden I doubt these are permanent occupants. As far as I can tell your mother's neighbour can do nothing to stop her feeding the birds unless there is a proven rat problem. As to the wild area councils have been known to order their removal if they are causing a problem with neighbours, try to ensure the ivy and blackberry bushes do not escape to other gardens and cause a nuisance, I do not feel that she is feeding excessively, i have way more feeders than that. Sadly some people are not happy until they get their own way. I would let him take it further, I doubt anything will come of it after a visit from councillors or maybe environmental health. I am so sorry your mum is experiencing this harrassment, I know it is not nice, but I am still here and still feeding.
  • 0 10/11/2021 08:57 in reply to alisonc2095046433
    Thank you for your support. I am going to get her a low feeding table rather than put the feed on the ground. Maybe this will keep him happy. I very much doubt it though.
  • 0 10/11/2021 10:44

    In some cases local authorities can stop someone from feeding wild birds in there garden and will look into any complaint. I'm not saying whether that’s right or wrong. But that’s the law as it stands at present! And even if you own your own home the local authority will look into similar complaints. Depending on the circumstances local authorities will also deal with complaints with hygiene or the environment. I had a relative who owned her own home and also fed wild birds in her garden and the local authority looked into the situation. But it was from a neighbour just complaining because they didn’t like any wildlife and that neighbour was given a warning about there complaint. It depends on the situation as shown in a link in the photo I’ve provided.

    Regards,

    Ian.

  • 0 13/11/2021 10:44 in reply to THOMO

    Sadly, our council pick and choose when to get involved.

    Next door but one, the garden is overgrown and a rat haven.

    My wife and I, plus the neighbouring properties to this house have all complained, and all the council will say is, unless there is risk of damage from the overgrown vegetation and the house is at risk of collapse with resulting damage to neighbouring properties, they aren't able to get involved, not even for the rats that we see running around.

    Talk about washing their hands of the problem.....

    Mike

    Flickr: Peak Rambler