Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 11:31:57 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Walter Ellison Subject: Re: advice sought: bird feeders in apartment complex MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Derek (and others who might deal with this situation) - I don't know if this fits your situation, but Nancy and I successfully resisted such edicts twice when we lived in an upstate NY apartment. Our apartment was in a more suburban location without serious potential for rat or roach problems. Each time we were given the notice we produced a carefully composed letter citing the facts about bird feeding and how we practiced it and our own experience regarding the presumed "pests" we were thought to be attracting - there was concern about a raccoon rabies outbreak. We also had several sympathetic neighbours who enjoyed seeing the birds we attracted. These people offered their support, a few even wrote letters of their own. It may be difficult for you to effect these strategies if you might attract rats, have high density living quarters, and/or unsympathetic neighbours but I thought our experience might give you some tactical alternatives. Some urban property managers view all forms of wildlife, no matter how benign, as pests to be evicted from their premises because such "varmints" will drive away potential renters. Such managers never even consider the possibility that your neighbours might like and appreciate the birds you attract as a welcome intrusion of beauty into their days. I wish you luck and a good solution to this challenge. Good Birding, Walter Ellison MD/DC Atlas Coordinator - MOS 23460 Clarissa Rd Chestertown, MD 21620-3645 410-778-9568 rossgull@crosslink.net "A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast." - E. B. White ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================