Excessive Bird Feeding

[Matheous]

I have a next door neighbour whom I like very much- but cannot bring myself to ask him to ease-off a little on the bird feeding as it's causing such a b****y mess everywhere in our garden. If I could find info that maybe outlines that the activity is actually bad for wild birds- that might make my plight a bit easier- I definitely do not wish to jeopardise our friendship....Please help!!!......

[daffy654]

There isn't really any such thing as excessive bird feeding.The RSPB recommends that you provide food for wild birds all year.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/fee ding/whentofeed.asp

[Jules001]

The RSPB actually recommend feeding birds all year around so I think you would be hard pressed to find info that would say that you shouldn't feed them. I feed the birds myself and they don't cause a mess. I think if they are causing a mess it is probably as your neighbour is attracting pigeons, which are messy and not nice (sorry any pigeon lovers). If your neighbour is simply scattering a load of food on the ground, then yes you will get pigeons, it is far better to put out hanging feeders, maybe if you value your friendship, you can buy a couple of the feeders or a feeder pole for him and say that as you know he enjoys feeding the birds, it will be far more enjoyable for him, if he attracts the smaller birds that the feeders will attract rather than the pigeons which just gobble up everything in sight.

[daffy654]

You could always buy your neighbour a membership to the RSPB,tell him that you noticed how much he likes the wild birds and that you hope he finds some useful information on their website.

[Matheous]

Sorry - I should have detailed that -yes it IS mostly starlings,pigeons that are causing the mess by sitting (yes sitting) on a phone line directly above our daughter's white roofed shed & decking in front of this. I know that he does not like the undesireable ones -and that IS probably the key to a solution. Currently there are I think- six feeders in their garden.....After they have fed there-they come into our pebble pond for a bath! Life of luxury!- No wonder they invite all their pals!

[DEN53]

I have the same problem Matheous - but my neighbour puts bread on her lawn, and the wood pigeons sit on my fence and sh$t all over my decking etc.

I did tell her a white lie that I saw a rat in the garden and the bread would obviously encourage vermin (which it does !) she did stop putting the bread out for a while, but I noticed she has started doing it again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[daffy654]

or a cat

[coccinelle]

Isn't it illegal to put out food on the ground for the birds? I remember a few years ago a woman up in Scotland got fined for doing that as it attracted rats. It's no longer possible to feed birds in cities and towns in Europe (ie Trafalgar Square, London and St Mark's Square Venice)

[daffy654]

I think that is down to local bylaws coccinelle.

[ACtheTROLL]

so the problem is actually that the garden has been decked ... very natural - we went to the yorkshire decking last week ... hopefully we'll get to sherwood decking tomorrow
and for our holls we'll be going to dartdecking.

and a white roofed shed - I'd hate to look out of the window and see wickes showroom

surely the whole point of a garden is living things ... if you want a pristine front room fine ... but a natural hardwood garden ???

we have starlings (now an endangered species (no natural habitat left), tits, blackbirds, sparrows, crows, magpies, a family of squirrels, all controlled by a couple of birds of prey, tons of spiders and insects, bees and a couple of ringed doves
I've seen all that in about half an hour

foxes pass by quite regularly, hedgehogs, dormice - once a deer ran across the garden ,,, the cats help to water the garden ... when I hose them as they hunt. an owl and bats hunt round here regularly.
we don't have rats or domestic mice

the neighbour and I are currently making nesting boxes, bee houses and ladybird nests so next year the gardens will be full of life

we share a pond (more a puddle) which the birds and insects love

I agree that it all needs a little thought
the patio is clean ... because all the animal amenities and food is at the bottom of the garden - they have no reason to brave the bustle of our half of the garden

[Matheous]

I have noted that if I bang the wheelie bin lid quite hard -it sounds like a gun which disperses them for a few seconds....I might try the hose!

[Matheous]

The shed is not from Wickes-wasn't cheap & no the garden is not all decked & never will be...It's not the small birds I object to - but pigeons & aggresive seagulls are a different matter...

[DEN53]

Bill Oddy will be proud of you ACtheTROLL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[espookid]

You could buy in imitation kestrel but hide it out off your neighbor's line of sight