Hila Defends; Stop Feeding Birds?

It was a lively night at Hila's.  I don't know what creature caused her to go ballistic at 1 am this morning, but she had been sleeping by my bed and suddenly started to bark and growl. Then she ran out into the living room and directed her ire toward one of the windows. Since it was a nice night, I had the windows wide open - I was completely amazed when Hila launched herself through the screen and outside.  She was extremely upset, and it took me 30 minutes to get her back inside and to quiet down.  I've never seen her react this way to any animal - so, did we have a possible burglar?  I have no idea.....

My neighbor who has been sweeping my patio left a note on my door yesterday - she wants me to stop feeding the birds and the squirrels because "they are vermin and are drawing other vermin." When I first visited Harvest Manor, I asked three questions before even discussing rent, terms of lease, etc. My questions were:  (1) May I have a cat as a pet here?  (2) May I hang bird feeders on my patio and/or in nearby trees?  (3) Will it be permitted for the cat/cats to play outside, not on a leash, but under my eyes/supervision?  - Since the answer to all three questions was "Yes", I then asked the usual renter's questions.... and ended up moving into my apartment in April 2006.  I spent parts of several days there before I actually moved my belongings and Lovey into the place.  I observed birds in the trees, field mice/voles in the grass, red and grey squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and the scat of rabbits, raccoons, fox, and deer in the backyard area adjacent to my patio. Since the apartments are located beside the Boulder Creek Path, I was not surprised - and was quite happy to see that a variety of wildlife visited the area.

Apparently my neighbor is not one of my kind of people - with a live and let live view and understanding of the life cycles of wildlife. At the end of her note she asks that I particularly stop feeding the squirrels peanuts and also stop feeding the birds sunflower seeds (which the squirrels also eat). She does not ask that I stop feeding the birds a blend of seeds - does she just have something against the peanut and sunflower shells?  When she first moved into her apartment, I offered to sweep her patio when I swept mine, because the wind does occasionally take a few empty hulls around the brick wall separating our patios - but she declined.  The sunflower seeds do take root, if not eaten, and she made a very nice garden this summer from the sunflower sprouts; the peanuts are roasted (unsalted) and cannot produce peanut bushes...

I think that, to placate my neighbor, I'll stop feeding the outside critters until the first snow; or, if we have a series of hard freezes before snowfall, I'll start feeding again then. I will not give up feeding the birds and wildlife entirely, as they help me enjoy life. I love to hear the birds chirping right outside my window during the day - whether I'm waking up, falling asleep, working on the computer, reading, or just sitting and thinking.  One needs birdsong in one's life!