pigeons

[Alleycat]

I have two bird feeders in my yard to attract songbirds. I really enjoy feeding and watching them. Unfortunately the feeders are also attracting a flock of pigeons. My neighbor behind me is completely freaking on me cause the birds feed in my yard but hang out on her house. She is screaming that it is all my fault even though I am not the only one with bird feeders in the neighborhood. My next door neighbor on my right must have 6 feeders! She is demanding (her exact words) that I take down my feeders. Any suggestions other then that??? I don't have loud parties, I keep my yard neat and tidy, I love to garden and hang out on my screened in porch during the the summer months but apparently I am the devil in her eyes and the worst neighbor ever!

[semillama]

1. you could experiment with different feeder types or placement

other than that, I don't know.

Maybe switch to thistle feeders and concentrate on finches for a while?

[Imalittleteapot]

2. My neighbor hates birds, squirrels

and the leaves from my trees. He shoots the squirrels as they run across the fence. He cut off a huge limb that hung over his yard (that wasn't touching anything on his property) from a 50 year old tree because he doesn't like the leaves on his pristine lawn. This guy is a nature Nazi.

I don't have pigeons, but there are a zillion White Wing and Mourning Doves that devour seed from my feeders daily. I've tried everything to discourage them, but nothing works. I have found no feeder that they won't try to land on. Since the Cardinals are the first and last visitors, I put seed out at dawn and dusk to ensure that they get their share before the Doves arrive.

If you stop feeding the birds for a week or two, they will go elsewhere. Your neighbor will notice the absense. Then you can start up again and hope that the pigeons will not return.

Good luck!

[booksenkatz]

3. Tackling the same problem here

I wish you were my neighbor, alleycat!

I lived here for 10 years and fed the birds with no problem before the pigeons suddenly found me this past spring. The recommended solutions have not worked for me: putting lots of stones underneath the feeder because pigeons dislike the lack of solid footing (mine adapted); putting out only safflower seed because pigeons hate it (mine adapted). Since our yard is goldfinch central, I've decided to concentrate on them for awhile, so I've put out tons of thistle socks. To discourage the pigeons, I've been putting sunflower seed out just a few times a week because I'm such a cardinal freak, I can't bear denying them -- there are definitely fewer pigeons due to the lack of dependable seed, and to my joy the cardinals still show up whenever I do put out the seed.

Hope you can find a solution particularly because of the problem with your neighbor. I'm lucky not to have that problem, it helps that I live on a corner AND most of the people around me feed birds as well!