Someone who had just moved to central Florida and wanted to attract local birds to their home was limited in their options because of their homeowners association. So, they turned to Reddit for advice, sharing photos of their setup.
"How can I get birds to like me?" they posted in r/birdfeeding.
"I would consider a bird bath nearby but separate from the pole system, ideally with a pump or bubbler to keep the water moving," one commenter wrote.
Another said: "Your setup looks good except you have no protection from squirrels, if you have them in your area. You could scatter a little food on the ground near the feeder and some near the fence."
Per the OP's HOA, they were not allowed to add any plants or trees to their property, so they had to be creative. They took the advice of throwing food on their lawn and adding a bird bath to start and planned to buy native plants soon to provide cover for the birds, hoping their HOA would not notice.
Five days after the original post, the user provided an update in a second post titled "I have derps" and wrote, "Today I woke up and there were mourning doves in my feeder."
"You're a lucky human, and an excellent friend to our feathered friends," one user commented.
Another said: "I'm so glad you're getting a nice flock of derps. The one on the bird bath looks very happy."
"Derps acquired," someone else wrote.
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes — it's part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme circumstances 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
When native flora is destroyed for the sake of building a new community, it encourages local fauna to migrate to other areas. In order to attract bugs, birds, and other animals back to their home, it's important to be able to replant; but a lot of HOAs prohibit personalization even if it's a benefit to homeowners' wallets or the environment.
If you also happen to live in an area with a strict HOA and you want to make some eco-friendly updates, consider learning effective ways to enact change before your next community meeting.
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