A colourful pair of noisy residents have sparked a bitter court battle by ruffling feathers in a leafy neighbourhood backing onto one of Scotland’s finest golf courses.
Amazon parrots Charlie and Bella are at the centre of a bizarre feud between neighbours, which has ended up being played out in a Scottish courtroom.
Retired farmer Iain Gauld’s pair of breeding birds have been accused of causing their neighbours distress and sleepless nights with their loud squawking and screeching noises.
Engineering consultant John Watson has launched an “Annoying Creatures” legal action at Perth’s Justice of the Peace Court to have the birds silenced.
In the application, under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 section 49, Mr Watson states: “The respondent keeps large parrots in an outside cage.
“The parrots screech and squawk very, very loudly at random times of the day, EVERY day from 5 am to 10 pm.
“It is very distressing to us, being nearest, and all other surrounding households.”
‘The noise would give you a jolt’
At the couple’s home in Golf Course Road, Blairgowrie, his wife Liz said: “We have to live with it.
“The house next door was empty for years and then they moved in last year.
“There was no problem through the winter because they must have been kept in the house, but it was in the spring when the noises started.
“The cage is probably at the nearest point to our garden.
“They do screech intermittently.
“John is easy going but he is really upset and has dug his heels in.
“We have learned a lot about them.
“They are beautiful creatures.
“They come from the Amazon rainforest and normally sleep for 12 hours a day.
“But there have been disturbances throughout the day.
“The noise would give you a jolt when you hear it.
“They make a noise when you get out of the car.
“I don’t like confrontation, especially not with neighbours.
“We came from suburbia in East Kilbride and have begun to wonder if we bought the wrong house after six years living in it.”
She said the couple had mounting legal fees fighting the case.
RSPB has been informed
In court, Mr Gauld said: “With these parrots it is like outbursts and they are related to daylight hours.
“They go to sleep at about 6pm when the light goes and you don’t here from them again until 8.30 or 9 am the following morning.
“We are going into winter and shorter days so I don’t see it being an issue.
“They are Amazon parrots.
“They do have an enclosure they are kept in.
“They are a pair and the female is sitting on a clutch of eggs.
“I have spoken to the RSPB about them.
“We have a pair of jays nesting nearby.
“I have got a recording of them and they do sound similar.
“You would struggle to know the difference.
“I am not saying the parrots are not making a noise but it is in short outbursts and then they stop.
“I know a minute can seem like a long time. I feel this is one-sided.”
Mr Watson replied: “Regarding the noise of the jays – I would need to multiply that ten or 20 times to get to the volume of the parrots.”
JP ‘excited’ to learn about parrots
JP Paul Walker told Mr Gauld: “I appreciate we are here today over a neighbour’s distress and nuisance being caused by your parrots.
“I have to balance the fact that this suggested nuisance will continue for weeks until we can convene a hearing.
“I was quite excited about the prospect of learning about parrots and their issues but that is unfortunately not going to happen today.
“We are dealing with an intermittent, but very troublesome, issue with the parrots.
“I am trying to be as fair as I possibly can to both sides.
“I believe Mr Gauld was not appraised of the fact there was legal representation on the other side and they had a significant number of witnesses.
“I am not seeing an equality of arms here. ”
He continued the case for a month.
Mr Watson’s solicitor said: “In terms of the short daylight hours – the timing isn’t the issue, it’s the noise of the parrots themselves.
“It may shorten but it doesn’t take the nuisance away.
“I would ask the court to ensure there is no further push back with the likelihood of the nuisance continuing.”
Parrots act as therapy pets
At his £700,000 art deco home backing onto Blairgowrie Golf Club, Mr Gauld explained the parrots acted as therapy pets for his wife Sandra.
He said the parrots had been house in the most sheltered part of his garden and said it was a considerable distance from the closest part of the Watson’s home.
However, he declined to comment on the case.
Meanwhile, Charlie munched on Wotsits and peanuts oblivious to the furore and awaiting his partner’s eggs hatching.
