Feed the birds?

[Borntobeamum]

I’ve always had a bird feeder in the garden since I married 41 years ago. I get a lot of pleasure from watching them feed and it’s good for my MH.

However, we’ve recently moved house to a small rural village after I lost both my parents. I love when the robins come, and I often get a pair at the same time.
I know it’s far fetched but I like to think it’s my mum and dad popping in to see me.
Yesterday, the next door neighbour told me I shouldn’t feed the birds as it encourages rats and squirrels.

I appreciate his thoughts, however rats and squirrels are all around the village I guess and I’m not happy about being dictated to by this man who has already rubbed most of the neighbours up the wrong way with his outspoken manner!

I don’t want to fall out with him, but I’m not going to stop feeding the lovely birds that visit. It’s a big garden and After all, it’s MY garden!

An I being unreasonable, and if not, what can I say to him when he mentions it again please?

Were destroying their habitat so feeding birds is advisable regardless of the season. Anyone that doesn't like it can fuck off

Sadly I gave up feeding the birds last year as, despite trying everything reasonable, rats still came. And there's no such thing as one rat. Birds are messy feeders and the seed spreads around whatever you use.

We have lots of natural food around here - berries, insects etc - so they aren't noticeably starving, plus neighbours feed them so they can have the rats instead.

The one bonus is the dramatic drop in squirrels in the garden!

id hang the feeders where you can view them but is restricted by your neighbour or put the food eg in the grass than an actual feeder etc

You could just plant some good bushes that have berries on that birds like and take care of your trees. Also robins tend to hang around the same place so once you have them visiting they will keep coming as long as you have some berries.

To deter rats keep bins clean and emptied and keep the outside tidy including sheds. Rats are everywhere but untidy bins with bits of food on the floor are appealing.

No just cat biscuits. Even if I didn't know that I'd bankrupt myself feeding them mealworms with the amount my hedgehogs eat!

I spent a lot of money on some that are supposed to shut if anything weightier than a bird goes on it, and the furry little fuckers have still found a way by hanging upside down by their hind feet 😫 although it does slow them down.

I’ve never seen a rat thank everything that’s holy. We have blackbirds and pigeons hanging around for spillages

Unless it’s a communal garden I wouldn’t take mine down

I've found that rats are only interested in my bird feeders if I put suet balls out, so I don't.

I'm just starting a new garden full of plants that will provide seed, berries and habitat for the birds. I figure it will save money on buying in seed in the long run.

Another way to enjoy birds in the garden is by putting in a bird bath. We had blackbirds, robins and great tits bathing and drinking in ours yesterday - such a splashy spectacle. Surely your grumpy neighbour can't complain about a bird bath.

Not his business
At the same time it's your garden.
Keep an eye out and only desist if he is right

Oo @Gymnopedie thank you! its worth a try..