Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone. I apologise for not coming here very often, but I would like to know if someone can share opinions on a problem I am currently experiencing.
I am in my fifties, I'm originally from Italy but I'm been living in Scotland. I've been working from home for several years because of my problem talking/relating to colleagues. I was diagnosed in my forties and I've never received any real help for my problems regarding socialising.
Since I spend a lot of time at home, I grew plants in my backyard and I feed birds as a hobby. I'm not a crazy bird-lady. I have a degree in veterinary medicine and I feed birds responsibly. All my neighbours have the typical yards with lawn that gets regularly mowed every two-three weeks and they think that my backyard is a disgrace. One of the family who lives next to me has a special hatred for the birds (there are a few pigeons, but the neighbours hate anything that flies and chirps). They reported me to the council a few times, but the council has never found anything wrong with what I'm doing. I tried the mediation service in the past but with no results.
Since April, the son (in his twenties) has begun working from home and he is determined to scare the birds away from my property, making noises when he hears them. He and his parents are also becoming progressively aggressive towards me, and they have started calling me names. I have reported them to the police twice and the police only recorded my complaint.
I live most of the time on my own and my neighbours know very well that I am isolated and shy.
If someone has been in a similar situation and has advices for me, I would like to hear them. Apologies for the long post.
What 4ssholes... I can't believe there are people out there like this. Sorry you're going through this
Thank you for your support, Miaxx. These are probably the worse neighbours I've ever had. My sister keeps telling me to move out, but I am too sorry to leave the birds. There's really no one else who feeds birds in my neighbourhood!
I wouldn't put birds above my own safety. Since time immemorial Avian have been fending for themselves. They didn't suddenly become fed because supermarkets began in the 1950s. Like ALL animals they will seek a nutrition source.
Yes, birds are resilient, but their number, like their number of many other species, has been in constant decline over the last forty years. The places where birds can find food are constantly reducing because of human activities and I think humans should give something back to birds and other animals.