The Great Bird Heist: How One Woman’s Owl Ornaments Scared Away the Birds

Feeding the birds, a thing of the past?

Jeff Williams, a 76-year-old retired merchant navy officer, was thrilled to have finally attracted a flock of sparrows and starlings to his backyard in Poole, Dorset. He had spent a small fortune on bird feeders and designed his garden to be a haven for his feathered friends. But all of that changed when his neighbor, Jane Morse, placed five bird of prey decoys in her garden.

‘It’s like putting a fierce bulldog in your garden to scare away the cats.’

The decoys, meant to deter Jane’s pet cats from bringing in dead birds, had an unintended consequence: they scared away all the birds from both gardens. Jeff was devastated, and a heated dispute ensued between the two neighbors.

A bird of prey decoy, similar to the ones used by Jane Morse

Jane, a retired nurse, claimed that the decoys were not meant to scare away birds from Jeff’s garden, but rather to deter her cats from bringing in dead birds. She also cited the dry summer, avian flu, and the presence of cats in the area as possible reasons for the disappearance of the birds.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) weighed in on the issue, stating that bird of prey ornaments can be used as a legal deterrent, but their effectiveness varies, and some birds may become accustomed to them.

The garden, once a haven for birds, now lies empty

The dispute has left Jeff feeling frustrated and disappointed. He had grown attached to the birds and enjoyed watching them flit about his garden. The absence of the birds has left a void in his life, and he hopes that a solution can be found to bring them back.

Will the birds ever return?

The incident serves as a reminder that even the best of intentions can have unintended consequences. As the two neighbors continue to disagree, one thing is certain: the birds are gone, and the garden is quieter than ever before.