Jackdaws And A Dangerous Situation!

[wiltsman]

A couple of weeks ago I lit my gas fire in the living room, but around twenty minutes later my carbon monoxide alarm sounded. Knowing how dangerous things could be I immediately turned the fire off as I guessed there was a nest blocking the chimney's flue.

As I'd previously seen jackdaws gathering around my roof, I decided I'd better get the nest removed before the beginning of March to keep on the right side of the law. Besides, law or no law, I wouldn't want to interfere with the egg laying season.

This morning the local chimney sweep dislodged the nest, bringing it down into the fire place. It was a massive pile of twigs, and as soon as it was down you could feel a draught rising up the chimney once more. The sweep then fitted a chimney cowl to stop any further nesting.

As he was fitting it he called me outside, and we observed twenty or so jackdaws flying circling around and round my bungalow, they seem to have been summoned from around the village, obviously not as all pleased. I did feel guilty but the nest blocking my chimney filling my living room with carbon monoxide meant something had to be done.

This afternoon I had to pop into town, but on returning they were still there. Two jackdaws were perched on my roof with another half a dozen on my neighbours houses. I could feel their eyes boring into me! I feel I'm being picketed, I do feel sorry for them but what can I do?

My sweep told me, that jackdaws love to nest in the hollows of old trees, so a chimney must make a great substitute for them!

Anyhow the main thing is, I'm glad I had a working carbon monoxide alarm, without it things could have been so different!

Has anyone a similar story to tell?

[roopower]

What a good thing you had an alarm! My dad was a naturalist and we had aviaries for injured birds brought to him. One of our long term inmayes was a jackdaw called, wait for it.....Jack. He learnt to talk clearly , copying the neighbour telling her dog off. The corvidae family are bright!

[Chipchopper]

It might be a nice idea if you could secure a nesting box in a nearby tree, if there is one.
Old trees with hollows are becoming few and far between, I have a tawny owl using the one I put up.

[Bazile]

//I could feel their eyes boring into me! I feel I'm being picketed, ....//

Your'e getting paranoid mate - Alfred Hitchcock's ' the Birds ' and all that .
lol

[bookbinder]

I once had some bees that had settled in under my shower tray. The shower drain pipe passed along the shower room wall, through the outer wall, and emptied into the outside drain. (I live in a bungalow, by the way.) The hole, for the pipe, in the outer wall had not been cemented very well, so the bees were able to get into the house via that hole. The bees were discovered when a plumber came to replace the shower tray and cubicle. The bees were dealt with as efficiently as was possible, but some remained, under the shower tray, even when the hole in the outer wall was cemented up. For some days afterwards, bees could be seen flying close to, and up and down the wall, the former hole in the outer wall, as if they were seeking their relatives. The same activity was noted inside the house, with bees doing the same against the inner wall that backed on to the shower room. They seemed to be looking for a way in, to their old nest, or maybe to their friends and relatives. After a few days, the bees disappeared, but I suspect that the space around my shower drain pipe is something of a bees' tomb.

[wiltsman]

Thanks for your replies.

Yes Bazile, I could be getting paranoid!!!

I agree roopower, they're bright birds. I remember my father telling me he had a 'tame' blackbird as a child. I think I recall him saying he taught it to talk.

Not certain if a jackdaw would use a nesting box, I'll look into that suggestion Chipchopper.

I've had a wasps nest to deal with bookbinder but luckily have never had an invasion of bees.

[choux]

Certainly have, wiltsman. We had to call out a chimney sweep and after a lot of hard work the hearth was full of twigs etc from a huge nest which wasn't 6 feet up the chimney.

The sweep told us that he usually finds Aunt Bessie's favourites in the nest as so many people chuck out excess yorkshire puddings and the birds put them whoe into their nests! The strangest thing he ever found in a nest though was a car number plate. He supplied a cowl for £20 and we have had no trouble since then. we then bought a carbon monoxide detector for the first time.

I live in the country, surrounded by fields and we are inundated with jackdaws, rooks and crows. I could cheerfully tell Chris Packham what I think ;)

I love all the other bird visitors we get though.

[shoota]

Good on you Choux, go ahead and tell him! ;-)

[choux]

Exactly, shoota, a little target practice never hurt me ;)

[Ryzen]

My wife went into one of the little used side rooms, where we have a woodburner. She could hear a tapping from within the fire...so opened the fire door and a very sooty Jackdaw came flying out..flapped around the room ..until all walls..ceiling..carpets..etc were ruined with soot....it then, flew out of the window...:-)