Birds in the chimney
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paulcam
Posts: 54 Forumite
So I have a blocked up fireplace, but I believe the chimney is still open.
Sitting upstairs in rooms adjacent to the chimney I can hear scratching and fissling. Listening to it for a while I'm fairly sure it's birds. As to how or why they want to be down the chimney is up to them.
To be honest it's not really bothering me. They are welcome to it if they aren't going to damage anything. I intend to have the roof 'serviced' and upgraded in the Spring, so, as I understand it, unless there are birds actually nesting in it at that point I can block it off them.
Is there anything I should worry about or just let them have at it?
Sitting upstairs in rooms adjacent to the chimney I can hear scratching and fissling. Listening to it for a while I'm fairly sure it's birds. As to how or why they want to be down the chimney is up to them.
To be honest it's not really bothering me. They are welcome to it if they aren't going to damage anything. I intend to have the roof 'serviced' and upgraded in the Spring, so, as I understand it, unless there are birds actually nesting in it at that point I can block it off them.
Is there anything I should worry about or just let them have at it?
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Comments
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If a bird is stuck down there it may die.
Then it might get maggoty - then you could find flies making their way into your room.
This happened to me once many years ago.0 -
If it's down in the chimney then it's most likely a stuck bird; it will almost certainly die, and there will be an unpleasant smell for a while (because your blocked chimney is vented - right?).0
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(because your blocked chimney is vented - right?).
Not into the rooms it's not. It was noted on the survey when I bought the place, but I intend to open the hearth back up (long finger) and fit a wood stove.
It might be ventilated underfloor.
The noise is heard upstairs so it can't be that far down the chimney. It's not constant, just a bit of scratching for a few minutes every few hours. I know it's a bird as I can hear the fairly characteristic "tap, taptaptap, tap" of a beak pecking occasionally.
I have yet to check the attic though, in case there is a way for them to get out into the attic!0 -
Hopefully vented beneath the floor, aye. You're probably not going to knock the chimney open to get to the creature, so maybe just be prepared to get a few air fresheners.0
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so maybe just be prepared to get a few air fresheners.
Funny, that reminds me I had a rim refreshener go down the loo a few months back. Backed the loo up but thankfully cleared... only to block another outside drain which now overflows with the washing machine or when it rains heavy.... this morning, I smelt a smell out the back and thought "Oh poo".
I am just hoping it isn't literally!
I want to go back to renting so I can phone the landlord
:rotfl: 0 -
Last year, I was seeing grit particles around the hearth, bent down to sweep them up, when could hear a noise nearby, and then a bird emerged from the fireplace (gas fire), and flew around the room!
Turned out to be a jackdaw, managed to open a ventilator window and scoop him up and out.
Not long after, had the chimney pots caped - using the bird gage type.
The 'roofer' did mention he'd come across instances of seagulls emerging!
Mind you, very lucky I was there when it happened!
The moral of this story is - get your chimney pots protected.I used to work for Tesco - now retired - speciality Clubcard0 -
When we first moved in we came home from shopping one day.
Our son walked in first and said mum why is there an owl in the front room.
Ha ha I said very funny and lo and behold there it was sitting on the window ledge.
The children wanted to keep it as a pet! But my husband put on some gloves picked it up and released it outside.
We had chimney cowls fitted after that0 -
When you next hear it go outside and see if there are birds sitting on the chimney stack. 99.9% it is them and not one stuck down the chimney. I used to able to hear birds in my downstairs rooms, sound travels very clearly down a chimney.0
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When you next hear it go outside and see if there are birds sitting on the chimney stack. 99.9% it is them and not one stuck down the chimney. I used to able to hear birds in my downstairs rooms, sound travels very clearly down a chimney.
If you line a chimney and install a wood burner, it almost sounds like the feathered friends are in the same room if the stove door is open. The liner seems to act as a very good conduit for any noise, not just birds clambering around on the cowl.Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
If you line a chimney and install a wood burner, it almost sounds like the feathered friends are in the same room if the stove door is open. The liner seems to act as a very good conduit for any noise, not just birds clambering around on the cowl.
Yes, in my house they were really intrusive in the kitchen with the noise coming down through the boiler flue0
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