A Seaford man who has been feeding huge flocks of birds for nearly two decades has his neighbors crying foul.
Michael Victor, the owner of a local marina, says he feeds flocks of Canada geese, ducks and other birds that call the area home. He gives them about 5 gallons of corn meal a day, as he has for the past 20 years. He and his wife often help rehabilitate injured birds with help from a New York state wildlife rehabilitator.
But Victor's neighbors say the birds are a nasty nuisance. They say that dozens, sometimes hundreds of birds flock to the area, creating a massive mess of feathers and feces.
Victor says his neighbors should have done their homework before buying their houses, because the area is simply home to lots of birds. His neighbors, however, have started circulating a petition to get the Town of Hempstead to ban the feeding of the "nuisance birds" because it creates unsanitary conditions.
Hempstead officials say that the town attorney's office has been working on legislation to address the issue. Victor says he'll obey any law that's passed, but until then, he'll continue to feed the birds.