[birdky] Re: Nesting Bird in Chimney

Chimney swifts

 

________________________________

From: birdky-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:birdky-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Nicole McClure
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 1:39 PM
To: ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [birdky] Nesting Bird in Chimney

 

Hi everyone,

 

I come before you today to ask help in identifying a bird for a friend
on a message board. From what she is saying and describing, it sounds
like a chimney swift, but she's not so sure. Below are her descriptions
and 2 pictures of the nest. Any questions, let me know and I'll relay
the information to her.

 

Thanks!

Nicole McClure- Lexington

c/o a friend in Missouri

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

#1

We have a sort of woodstove-esque fireplace - it's big and iron, and you
have to open two doors to put wood in, and it will reroute air with a
fan to blow outward to the room. Very cozy!

However, we appear to have some guests. I could hear loud, deep noises
for a while. It was like the sound of a sliding closet door opening, but
no one would be home and it was on the wrong side of the house. I guess
it was the sound of birds taking off inside the chimney. Within the past
week, we could hear distant, faint chattering noises. It was so dense
that it sounded more like the water heater hissing or something. But now
the chirps are DEFINITELY...well...chirps.

They sound like they are RIGHT out of sight. If I open the doors to the
chimney, the chirping is literally just above my head. Of course, the
chimney itself could be routing the sound downward and making it a bit
of an auditory illusion, but they're still pretty close. The chirping is
annoying, but I understand there is nothing I can do. I don't plan to
try and get rid of the babies, and I suspect it'll be another two weeks
or so of living with my new roomies, and then they'll learn to fly, too
(poor dears will have to figure out straight up instead of flying
forward. Not the best choice for a nest!)

However, the issue seems to be the momma and papa birds. Last night
there was a ton of rustling and flapping coming from the vents around
the fireplace. There are four metal-covered vents on each corner - I'm
not sure if they're connected directly to the fireplace or not - and
then there are the vents on the sides of the actual iron fireplace
itself which blow out the air. It sounds like the flapping is coming
from there, but I can't see anything within it. I also am terrified to
open the fireplace itself, since...well.
laugh<http://thoroughbredchampions.com/forum/Smileys/classic/laugh.gif>
Birds in the house are not always fun! However, the times I have there
is nothing in there, even if the sound seems to come from it.

Is there anything I can do? The flapping has stopped, so maybe the bird
got out? I opened up the vent on the fireplace that lets the heat go up
more easily - I assume it would also allow a bird to escape, too. Is
there any delicate way to actually open the fireplace and NOT let a bird
fly loose through our basement? I can throw open all of the doors and
windows, but that's no guarantee.

And to prevent it happening again...would some sort of cage top or wire
mesh be okay to put on the top of our chimney, so it doesn't happen next
year or later this summer?

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

#2

I just looked them up and the babies certainly sound similar! Can't be
certain, though. It would make sense that they'd be nesting vertically,
though. Neat!

I'll see if I can get a camera and flashlight positioned as necessary to
check it out.

ETA: I don't think they're chimney swifts. All the pictures I can find
of their (adorable) homes are little half circles stuck on the side of
the chimney. This nest is definitely RIGHT there, and, well...

 <http://i29.tinypic.com/k98fgo.jpg> 

http://i29.tinypic.com/9rhv01.jpg <http://i29.tinypic.com/9rhv01.jpg> 

The second image is just from below looking up.

It's enclosed! I was not expecting that. It's so tightly woven, too -
it's just a little basket. I'm going to have to see this nest once
they're definitely gone, but wow. I have absolutely no idea what it is.
I'm borderline wondering if this IS the nest, but...well. What else
could it be?
laugh<http://thoroughbredchampions.com/forum/Smileys/classic/laugh.gif>
Did someone vindictively stick a basket in my chimney?

They make this hissing/cawwing/screeching noise that sounds like the
hiss I described when I open and close the damper thing that I'm
shooting up through. It scares the crud out of me every time. The flash
didn't seem to bother them, but I don't want to harm them. I might get a
bit more adventurous with the video capabilities on my camera and see if
I can get a shot inside the structure, but we'll see.

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