This nosy neighbor of mine watches and notices everything I do in my backyard. If I were to hang a piece of string from a tree branch...she would notice that. I plan on moving when I can find a home for sale that appeals to me.

I would be livid if a neighbor of mine came in to my yard and moved one of my bird feeders around, how horrible to have to deal with issues like this. I think you should put the feeder right back where it was before she moved it, that's your right, it's your property.

It's so hard dealing with nosy, busy body neighbors. I wish you luck in finding a new home, although if you really like your home, I wouldn't let her run you out of there. Sorry your going through this.

We get Band Tailed Pigeons at our feeding stations but it's not year round. They visit mostly early summer and we've found that if we eliminate millet, or place it in tube feeders, they tend not to hang around. We don't feed mixed seed since birds always pick thru it and there is too much wastage. Instead we feed black oil, millet and niger.....each seed in individual feeders.

We have acreage around us so neighbors aren't a problem, but we chose to make the millet less accessible to the pigeons because their presence prevents the small birds from feeding. When the pigeons arrive in early summer we offer them a feeding station away from the small bird stations but we limit the amount of millet. We've found they leave as soon as the millet is gone since they don't seem to care for sunflower. They sometimes try to hang onto the tube feeders to get more millet but the effort doesn't last long.

Just tell her the next time she changes anything in your yard you will call the police. She can not do that, it is against the law. My HOA tried to change things in my yard because the covenants said they could. My attorney said call the police if they don't leave and if they do it while you are gone, call me when you get home and I will file a complaint in court.

Maybe you should ask her why she dislikes the birds so much. Too much bird poop? Rats? You won't know until you ask.
When I first bought my house, I put out bird feeders. It attracted loads of pigeons that would line the overhead wires, where the unfortunate postal employees parked their trucks. Their windshields would be disgustingly covered in poop. Now, me being a good neighbor, I would hose down their windshields at night. I truly felt horrible. I eventually removed the feeder. Once the pigeons gave up & moved on, I put out more specialized feeders, like suet & thistle, and an occasional regular feeder. The pigeons never came back, thankfully, but, I live close enough to a river, and eventually DID see rats. My neighbor pointed them out, so we set a hav-a-hart trap, and sure enough, we caught 3! There is a big rat problem in the next town over, from what I've heard.

Someone's cat also left ME their prized trophy of a dead rat right on my front porch, puncture wounds and all. Why that cat didn't bring it home for it's mom & dad to see still makes me wonder. So, just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not there. They're there, they're always there, ugh...

At a former workplace, one woman put a feeder outside her office. because she loved to veg out and "watch the birdies". You wouldn't believe the number of rats that showed up after hours - it was crazy. Even crazier, she didn't want to remove the feeder, after seeing pictures, even after seeing them feeding. Now SHE was a piece of work. Someone else removed it after SHE refused. She should have, period.

Right now, I only have a suet feeder on a pole and a thistle feeder. Sure, I get plenty of pests (hosps & starlings), but also get more preferred birds; cardinals, jays, titmouse, nuthatch, chickadee, hairy/downy/red bellied woodpeckers, goldfinch, house finch, mockings, etc.

You can't choose your neighbors, well you could, but you'd have to move, so you need to coexist peacefully. Maybe if you ask her what her problem is, nicely, this could be worked out. But, she did cross the line by moving your feeder; she had no right.

I have a neighbour with a relatively small yard but very close to mine. She has approximately 12 feeders which she fills every morning and she also pours feed onto the ground for birds, squirrels and beside a ground hog hole. I have also found pieces of fruit which she also puts onto the ground. Dozens of starlings have replaced the finches, blue jays, etc. that used to frequent our yard. I object to starling feces which cover our deck, fences, plants, etc. She claims she has a right to do what she wants in her yard.

Any suggestions?

Place a DO NOT TOUCH on your feeders. In Baltimore, Maryland bird feeders are not allowed because of the rats.

Sure, the neighbor shouldn't have gone to your property and disturbed your things (feeder). She may very well be a busybody, but when you ask her to not come to your yard and move your feeders, take the opportunity to find out why she doesn't like you feeding the birds. I don't think it's good to get all legal. Just have a talk with her and be open minded about her point of view; show her respect (yes, I understand, she did cross the line -- literally -- with you). You might find it helpful to get more information.

I had an elderly neighbor who loved the birds and fed them the white millet. The birds he adored were those pesky English sparrows. Those birds took over nest boxes in my gardens, fighting with and ousting (and killing) tree swallows. I got a Trio trap to help deal with the house (English) sparrows. The old gent eventually passed away (I didn't have to trap him).

Now another neighbor on this woodland hillside, but further up, feeds that cheap white millet to the birds. The English sparrows are back -- only a couple at this point, but I have many nest boxes, and give them their own (for a "while"), then remove their work.

A friend who lives in an urban area had well meaning neighbors feeding birds. She (and I) could look out her kitchen window to her raised patio and see mice, rats, squirrels. The rats were under her raised wooden patio. She explained to the nice neighbors that she really did not want rats around. They responded that rats get a bad rap -- they are just like tail-less squirrels. My friend wanted to keep a good relationship with the women neighbors (it's a close, friendly community), and she has. She did however have to contact some metropolitan department. I think that the situation improved -- perhaps the neighbors stopped filling their bird feeders.

I used to work at a large metropolitan hospital with a lovely courtyard off the cafeteria. It could sometimes be a challenge to not be encroached upon but emboldened gray squirrels (but I don't want to share my chips!) as apparently they were constantly being treated and encouraged. I don't imagine those who shared with those squirrels and sparrows would have been as inviting of rats. Are they really "just tail-less squirrels"?

I found out that a wide range of animals are attracted by bird seed. I know that I have a doe and fawn and an 8-point buck that frequent the back yard, so I put a few cups of cracked corn on one plate for the deer and a few cups of sunflower seeds on another for the birds.

The doe happily alternated between the corn and sunflower seeds. In addition to 15 different varieties of seed-eating birds, I have skunks, 4 different types of squirrel (gray, black morphed gray, red, and fox squirrels), chipmunks, opossums, raccoons, mice, and a family of red foxes.

I know who moved the bird feeder.

From a problem solving perspective, it's much better to speak with one another to gain an understanding rather than simply declare war. People are observant (a.k.a. nosy) and that can help you (they notice that you fell down in the back yard and broke your pelvis and call 9-1-1 as the neighbors of a good friend did) and sometimes that can annoy. However, I'll take the annoyance in exchange for the help most any day.

No one will lose a limb, an eye, bleed or die if the feeder changes position. Telling your neighbor that all they need do is talk to you and you will always make REASONABLE accommodations for them if they promise to do the same for you is a good place to start.

So, do I care about trespassing? No, not really. We used to cut across all the back yards in the neighborhoods as kids & all the parents seemed pretty fine with that. My dad saved the life of a 4 year old neighbor boy who decided to use another neighbor's swimming pool by trespassing.

I think that creating good relationships with your neighbors is a much better long term solution than getting your panties in a twist about a bird feeder.

I think perhaps you have spoken with her by now. How did that go?

Geez, my sibs and I (8 to 11) used to pilfer apples from a neighbor's tree. She was a fantastic lady and taught us to swim and also corrected our English or usage. We loved her so, but were too young and busy to grasp that. She would tap her knuckles on her kitchen window when she spotted us in her apple trees. We would scream and scatter. In those days, people, kids, dogs would and could easily "trespass" and roam across other's yards, fields and woods. No one harmed or bothered us. Years later, when on a day trip to a popular off shore Maine island, did I see that same calm hospitality. We'd been hiking and ended up crossing over island yards and "gardens" (very informal), packed with lovely monkshood in bloom. We offered apologies to the sunbathing residents and they smiled and waved us on -- apparently day trippers do this all the time, and the islanders are obliging.

As to your nosy neighbor, she might be a busy body because she's lonely. I'm serious. As Lynn M above suggested, you might have a blessing in the form of an aware neighbor. Make lemonade.

And, let me just say this. Being kind to birdies only goes so far >wink< I have put out water, seed, grape jelly, nest boxes, clean fabric scraps (cut finer because I am so very thoughtful). I had hoped that the well fed songbirds would be preoccupied with grape jelly, fresh water, sunflower seed, suet and left alone seeds from various weeds, to bother with my wild and cultivated blueberries and raspberries and strawberries (they have viburnum, dogwood, wild strawberries, the compost pile, clover...). NO WAY. I put a bubbly water fountain (they have their bird baths with clean fresh water). Nope. Even the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks are snitching Green blueberries.

Critters just do what they do. At least humans might be flexible.

Will you let us hear from you, please?

Fortunately trespassing is against the law so I don't have to be at the mercy of people who think they have the right to "cut through my yard" or climb my trees and steal apples. If the older lady in question really didn't care that you were stealing her apples, I doubt she'd rap on the window when she caught you at it. And if she really DIDN'T mind, then why not ask for permission?

Things that make you go, "hmmmm".

I think its hilarious that the OP is being taken to task and told she should talk to her neighbor as if somehow she was the instigator. The woman who moved the bird feeder is the one who should have talked it out first.

If there is an issue of public health, such as rats, there are already mechanisms in place for the city to deal with that. There is just no excuse for the nosy neighbor's trespass and moving the bird feeder.

Frankly I wouldn't worry much about her "good opinion". I worry more about my privacy and property rights. If she is the type who wouldn't call for emergency help because she doesn't like you, she's unlikely to be much help even if you try to appease her in such a situation.

My neighbor puts out about a quart of bird feed and peanuts a day. There are now about 50 pigeons and 15 squirrels feeding there. My car gets about 20 bird poops a day, my deck has squirrel poop and peanut shells scattered around it, and my sidewalk and front steps get about 30 pigeon droppings a day. They get tracked inside, my dog gets sick from the diseases they carry. Even my friends and the mailman comment on it. I have to continually wash my car, and it still has pigeon poop on it. I have to sweep my walk and stairs every day, and there is still poop all over.

Feed your birds on a side of your house where all the poop ends up on you, not on your neighbors.

I used to feed the birds in my backyard year round. I don't anymore as I don't want to attract any Sparrows to my swallows. Though when I did, I had hundreds of birds. Literally hundreds of them in my backyard. If you opened the back door they would all fly up at once and it would be a wall of brown for at least 4 secondes as they all flew away. It was really neat though. Especially when a falcon or other bird if prey flew by as instantly they would all freeze then dive in the bushes/trees all at once.

The birds were largely House Sparrows and chipping Sparrows (in the summer) but there were also tons of brown headed cowbirds, house finches, white throated Sparrows, chickadees, white crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and loads more which I can't remember at the moment.

Rarely did pigeons or starlings come, but I do get the odd starling in the winter now as that's the only time I feed. And sometimes if I was lucky their would be red winged blackbirds, goldfinches, partridge, and (this only happen once) blue Jay's. Other birds also seemed attracted to all the commotion such as wrens and warblers.

The Wrens made dummy nests and I had 2 house sparrow nest going strong too. Though the chicks in both those nests met a fatal end via a magpie.

I had that going for about 3 years and I never once got a complaint from any of my neighbours. The only pests that ever got attracted were mice and voles but it was a quick fix to trap them and realease them into a park away from my house.

I 100% agree with Zenso.

It's your yard and you have every right to do whatever in said yard as you please. If someone did that in my backyard I'd go buy 3 more feeders and hang them all up close to their property line.

Now, if someone actually came to me and said your feeders are blah blah blah in a nice and civilized manner, id respect that and see what I could do to fix said problem.

Luckily, I have nice neighbours or it would be full out war

And zen, you are incorrect - the OP is not being taken to task. Instead, the OP is being given the best advice from Houzzers on how to find common ground with another human being in order to achieve a mutually beneficial understanding. Negotiating to a win/win solution is ALWAYS better than an escalating cycle of anger and vengeance.

Peanuts are no good if you have neighbors. I used to put peanuts out and the squirrels would bury them in my neighbors' yards. I didn't even realize it until one neighbor mentioned it nicely.

I felt terrible!

No more peanuts.

You are a super neighbour! Our neighbour hung 7 feeders along our fence, right under our bedroom window, as well as many others in her yard. She fills them every morning at 5 a.m. needless to say the starlings and crows wake us early and the bird droppings on our fence are disgusting. She even places feed on the ground beside a large ground hog hole in her yard.

She started his after we mentioned 2 of her 5 cats were seen pooping in our garden after it was planted.

We have walnut trees and mulberry bushes in our yard which the birds and squirrels never touch any more. My husband relocated 72 squirrels last year because they are chewing on our fence and our shed.

We have tried talking nicely to her but her reply is that she can do what she wants in her own yard. We have stopped enjoying our deck because of bird droppings and squirrel feces. Our sun porch windows are splattered with bird droppings. We have also had to take down our clothes line as have the neighbours on her other side.

Any suggestions?

I'd complain or report it to the city. Or the bylaw officers to give her a complaint notice or whatever. And if she doesn't fix the problem complain again and maybe she will get fined.

Unfortunately we have had to do that! Don't like it. She lied to the by-law officer and now won't return his calls. We really hate to fight but we have no choice.

I am trying to get the local paper to write an article about the diseases that squirrel and pigeon poo spread. And to encourage people not to feed them. So far the paper is ignoring me. I even sent them studies. Apparently there are over 60 diseases that pigeons can cause.

Update on my mention of the two women next to my friend who were attracting rats, mice, squirrels, birds, but definitely RATS. This was in a tree-lined, urban area of nice homes and a famous parkway and arboretum. Well, the rats got inside the home of the women with the birdfeeders. Very nice house too. They infested the walls, and cellar ceiling. It cost them time, money and aggravation to remedy the situation. I guess the bird feeders have been put away.

As to some of the comments -- people have different environments, In my rural area, there must be rats around, I don't see them. The local hawks have the rats on speed dial. In an urban environment (pigeon-land), rats are very likely to be attracted to bird seed and other foodstuffs (as will raccoons and skunks). Because the people feeding the birds may not see rats, doesn't count much; they may not have a wide view or good vision ;)

It all comes down to respecting one another, communicating, and doing the appropriate thing given the situation at hand.

There are about 30 pigeon poops on my car. The ones on the sides drip down . Instead of parking in my driveway, which is in the direct line of the 'deposits',

I moved my car yesterday to the street in front of their house. They now have a great view of it from their front window, their front porch, which from there they should be able to see the roof as well as the side and hood of my car, and from where they go out to feed the pigeons.

I wish the pigeons flew the direction their car is. Theirs is completely free of pigeon poops since it is on the other side of their house and for some reason the pigeons don't fly that way. Maybe I should suggest we trade driveways so they could experience the disaster, but it would be really inconvenient for both of us.

It's a good thing they don't have a pool with a hippo in it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddjD4c-WTGE

Oh gross - whirlwind hippo poo splatter !

EXACTLY!

My zoo actually has warning signs next to their enclosure for that

We called the by-law officer after trying to reason with our single lady neighbour about the dozen bird feeders in her small yard. There was feed also on her front steps, spread on the grround, etc. Our yard is littered with peanut shells. Suddenly she was down to 5 feeders. However after the by-law officer left the feeders are back and now she has started to place bird houses along the property line on high poles so we can see them over the fence we erected. The funny part is that she has all the blinds at the back of her house closed.

We have taken down our clothes line and don't use our deck much any more for obvious reasons. Dozens of starlings inhabitat her yard for her 6a.m. feeding schedule. We no longer sleep with our windows open as our bedroom window is directly above the feeders. Squirrels use our fence as a runway to her yard. Skunks, ground hogs, raccoons use our yard as a pathway to get to her yard. I could go on and on but you have the picture.

Has anyone sued a neighbour for harrassment for what we are experiencing?

Feeding wildlife is harmful for wildlife of any kind, including birds. The amounts of birds in neighborhoods become unnatural. It's morally incorrect for wildlife and neighbors. How selfish do you have to be, to interfere with nature like that, as if humans haven't done enough yet.

And yes, rats, raccoons and other non-wanted and deceases carrying rodents multiply in bigger amounts too.

Unless you want to decorate your house with natural birds and rats for Halloween, stop feeding the wildlife.

Just use common sense....

The Neighbour doesn't have any right to come on your property uninvited, but she has every reason in the world to be VERY annoyed.

vitma371 "Feeding wildlife is harmful for wildlife of any kind, including birds"

Actually, feeding the birds, especially in extreme weather conditions (ex- ice storm) can be the difference between life and death for them.

But I'm not going to explain any further. You have already made up your mind.

jiminyg43 - "We called the by-law officer after trying to reason with our single lady neighbour about the dozen bird feeders in her small yard."

Key word "her" small yard. It is her property. Unless there is a law she is breaking, you probably don't have much to go on. The argument reminds me of barking dogs... Could you sue a neighbor over barking dogs? IDK, maybe...

It's unfortunate she doesn't try to better the situation since your affected by it all. I also feed the birds, every day at about 6am. One could say I'm addicted and I would probably agree. She may be too. But if I knew my neighbors were upset, I would change things up immediately. In fact, some of the birds that visit my yard hang out in a tree in my neighbors yard. I asked him two difference times if he minded and he always said no.

I hope you can works things out. I always think if I had neighbors from hell I would probably end up moving, even though I love my home.

Good luck

Just want to mention bird's poop can damage car paint, you'd need to wash it off asap.

Yes, I know bird poop can damage my car paint. Perhaps I should ask if they will wash it off of my car every day? I do not know what to do.

The animals attracted to their bird seed and peanuts not only bring the shells and the poop into my yard and onto my porch, stairs, and porch furniture, but some little critter, maybe mice or chipmunks, are now going into the engine compartment of my car.

I could not figure out why my fan blower was making a terrible noise and was not putting any air out. I took it to the garage where I have repairs done. They found over a cup of peanut shells inside the blower compartment! I had to pay $44.40 to have them removed !

I got to work late this morning, because I had to wash off the bird poops on my car, I hate birds!

I love getting woken up at 5:30AM EVERY MORNING because my neighbor insists on feeding the birds. It's about as considerate as neighbors that allow their dogs to bark all night long. And it's not doing the birds any favors either. Many wildlife experts recommend against feeding the birds.

>>I have a few feeders in my back yard<<

Sometimes even one is too many if you're giving them seeds etc. ...especially in summer, they get enough food without handouts...they should be eating your insects off the trees etc. Seeds or other solids will attract rodents/pest and help their population. If you think Squirrels and or isn't a pest....if the population goes up then it will become a pest.

@Lynne - wow. What a terrible neighbor you would be. Whether or not you approve of my handle doesn't affect me whatsoever, LOL! A neighbor who comes into your yard and removes your property is a trespasser and a thief, and a lousy neighbor.

The idea that I should be OK with such is ludicrous. Especially given that I have my feeders set up to attract goldfinches, hummingbirds, finches, and the odd song sparrow. I use only cling feeders and (obviously) nectar feeders. No squirrels, rats, or the dreaded English House sparrow (HOSP) - which are basically (outside of their natural territory) rats with wings. I feed exclusively sunflower chips and nyjer, neither of which can sprout and cause weeds. So there is nothing about my feeders that could cause a problem - at least not as long as you're a reasonable human being who respects the rights and property of others.

Robert Frost was oh-so-wise when he wrote about fences making good neighbors.

I think ignorant people do not realize the benefits of having the birds around...eating insects from our yards and gardens and just the enjoyment of watching them. Some people need to chill...live and let live

My neighbor complained too, after me living here 9 years. I also put out corn way back in the yard because crows like corn and they don't like mice. Crows are always protecting my property. I am enjoying the birds.

I was dissapointed when I saw a squirrel over take my feeder and pulled it from the tree to the ground. Since there were so many oak trees I assumed squirrels would eat from them.

I only believe in feeding during winter...enough food for them all around but it's too easy for handouts....rodent population goes up..especially mice and squirrels.

I had a mouse that was stealing my bird seed at night. I’ve added Cole’s Flaming Squirrel seed sauce to my seeds and haven’t had a mouse problem since. Also Morning Song Clean and Free bird seed is great for controlling the mess.

No offense, but I feel if we put feed out, it's fair game to every animal. They are all hungry. So I would rather try to outsmart them in a different way.........like hanging a feeder from a pole with a raccoon baffle. Yeah, mice are hungry too. I don't like them in my house, but them finding food outside seems fair game to me. Yes, the squirrels sometimes still get the suet (in winter), but I've learned to accept it.....they're hungry too. I do like Konrad does and only feed them in harsh winters.

TICKS and TICK DISEASES. Birds carry ticks and so do all the rodents that eat the seeds on the ground. Lyme disease, (borellia), bartonella, babesia, anaplasmosis, powassan virus. All the animals carry ticks and the ticks carry diseases. Reason enough to stop feeding birds.

I already have Lyme disease. I stopped feeding birds and the rodents and rodent holes have almost disappeared. Lyme disease is an epidemic and is all over the world and in every state. Beware. These diseases will change your life.

I waded through about 3/4 of the above comments, and did not notice anyone mention the natural predator of rats and mice: the SNAKE. I think that, or another predator, like the hawk, may be present in the yard or neighborhood of anyone who has put out bird seed for years yet never seen a rat. I'm blessed with one or more black snakes in my urban-yet-woodsy yard. Hawks seem to have eliminated the neighborhood feral cat population.

There are other ways to attract birds to your yard. One, a bird bath. Second, plant a variety of native plants that produce bird food - either seed or fruit. You can find information online from birding websites, native plant nurseries, county extension. Then of course, she may complain about all those plants! (like my neighbor did).

I used to feed stale bread to the outside birds.My neighbors dad,who lived at the house part time after retiring to Pa,,,told me it was no good for the birds.

So for the last 5 years I have bought wild bird seed,..A year or so ago my neighbor told me I needed to stop feeding them as they pooped on his 50 thousand dollar truck.I told him to F off...Months later I got a warning from town saying I can only feed them with a bird feeder,...I got one,,,,Then he told me not to feed them more than once a day.At 63,with a bad hip,I fed them if I happened to see it empty whenever that was.I got a ticket from town saying the food that falls to the ground as they eat,is illegal.,,,How can people be so mean?