Motion-Activated Owls Infuriate Buffalo Grove Man

May 17, 2011 12:50 PM

A burrowing owl. (Credit: AP)

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BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (WBBM/CBS) – A Buffalo Grove man says his neighbor is getting on his nerves with a collection of noisy motion-activated owls.

As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Felicia Middlebrooks reports, hearing owls hoot out in the wild is not an issue, given that they tend to be solitary, and nocturnal.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Felicia Middlebrooks reports

But the owls ruffling the feathers of the Buffalo Grove man are mechanical, and they got him so annoyed that he called police.

The man called police this past Saturday afternoon, complaining that a neighbor had placed the owls in his own backyard, in the 2700 block of Acacia Terrace in Buffalo Grove and they were making “excessive noise,” a Buffalo Grove police report said.

But although the resident told officers the noise disturbs him at night, police relayed some bad news – there is no ordinance against motion-activated owls.

Police also gave the resident a tip – he should not go into his neighbor’s yard to turn the owls off.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

Motion Activated Owls Infuriate Buffalo Grove Man

Bruce

what a hoot.
Dylan

Can’t pick your relatives or stupid neighbors. Why would any normal person buy an electric owl to put in their yard? Does he have a mice or snake problem? No?
Well then, it’s settled. He’s an IDIOT!!!
brotten2u

darn kids and their b b guns! oops! gave away an idea.

Sher Stookey

I meant to hit reply and accidentally hit report comment..thinking it just said comment. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.

I like the bb gun idea.

laura

I feel the same way about wind chimes-noise pollution forced onto your neighbors. If you want chimes or electric owls, keep them in your house.
JustSaying

People will find anything to complain about.
Sher Stookey

How rude!! I’ve heard of putting an owl on your house to keep pigeons away but to just be plain annoying? In regards to chimes..I put some out and never ever hear them chime except for when I sit outside. However, if they’ll keep my neighbor away, I may upgrade to bigger chimes and lots of noisy owls….:D

Laura

YOur neighbor will have no place to escape to when you put out your chimes. You say you hear them outside—that’s right!!! so does your neighbor when they sit outside and in my case inside my bedroom when I have the windows open which is most of the summer. He had the audacity to tell me to keep my windows closed!!! PS-glad your’e not my neighbor-you sound very un-neighborly.

WhatAHoot

The problem here is that while there is no specific ordinance relating to motion activated owls, there is an ordinance regarding noise.

9.38.020
It is unlawful to use or operate a sound amplification device from ten-thirty p.m. to eight a.m. local time Sunday through Thursday and from one minute after midnight to eight a.m. local time Friday, Saturday and holidays, so that the device produces distinctly and loudly audible sounds beyond the boundary of the property, parcel, street or place from which the sound originates.

Definition of sound amplification device:
9.38.010
“Sound-amplifying device” means any device utilizing electric current which amplifies a musical instrument, tuner, phonograph record, magnetic tape, any electronically synthesized sound or the human voice.

Clearly in this instance, the Buffalo Grove PD are not aware of their own locally adopted ordinances.

fed up

Sounds like BGPD needs to be educated and retrained in their jobs.
Upset Neighbor

Thank you for this information. We will use this and let you know what happens.

Durrr

test
Calvin Pickett

THIS NEIGHBOR WITH THE OWL IS ON STR8 B.S.
FrankM

Who puts owl’s in their yard? This neighbor must have way too much time, and obviously no kids or wife. Everyone has a crazy neighbor on the block…this sounds like the extreme of that.

Upset Neighbor

He has a newborn, a 3 year old a wife and a nanny. He also has an owl with a movable head and one with wings that he puts on a tree between the 2 properties. Go figure.

Sher Stookey

Actually, I’m a nice neighbor, it’s MY neighbor who is not so nice. He’s seldom home but when he is, he is very, very rude. Branches from his dying pine tree has torn down our electrical wires many, many times. He won’t let us cut the branches overhanging on our side by using a ladder against the tree. He called the cops on us when we tried. He threatened to cut our 50+ year old grapevines if we were to touch his tree. Nevermind, that I spent 4-days freezing in the house while waiting for power to be restored. He will walk over to the fence and stand and stare at us if we are outside and he comes home. He has to see what we are doing, so we built a privacy fence. Now, he’s put a chair on the deck I have never seen him use so he can sit above and watch us. I have a teeny, tiny chimes that set in an area that is blocked mostly from the wind so they seldom chime at all. My bedroom is facing our rude neighbor and if my window is open, he will puff his stinky cigarettes and blow them that way or he’ll talk using the speaker phone outside. No, I’m the nice neighbor who has put up with this creep who’s had a no contact order put out on him. He also stole from my backyard when he first moved here.