Jackdaws in chimney

Slogger Jogger

Hi,
We've nesting jackdaws in our chimney. We have a chimney cowl fitted but theres obviously a gap that the birds have worked their way through. Funnily enough we've neighbours who have no such chimney cover and they don't have nesting birds. We can hear the chippering of the birds and chicks. Any idea when chicks become fully fledged and they depart the nest? I'll need to get a long extension ladder up after that to try fix the cowl and clear the nesting material from the chimney stack.

We also have some swallows at the side of the house eaves who seem to be in the process of constructing a nest, on the vertical wall. Our house must attract the birdlife.

Cheers,
Mick

Scrappychimow

Why don't you just leave them be?

Slogger Jogger

Scrappychimow wrote: »

Why don't you just leave them be?

Yes, but they'll leave the nest at some point. And I need to use the fire later in the year. I won't be disturbing the nest until they're well gone.

swifts need our help!

please leave the house martin nest. They need all the help they can get to rear successful clutches of eggs. Their numbers are going down too fast

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Jackdaws take about 30 days to fledge. You cannot legally remove this nest until August. At that point be prepared for an awful lot more material than would be expected. The chimney will contain a huge amount of twigs etc.

1squidge

Good to hear that Swallows nesting under your eaves. It takes Jackdaw chicks 28 to 32 days to fledge. Oops didnt see Srameens post. Yep what Srameen said.

Mothman

swifts need our help! wrote: »

please leave the house martin nest. They need all the help they can get to rear successful clutches of eggs. Their numbers are going down too fast

I can assure you that SJ will not be tackling the swallows/martins
He'd have me to answer to

And SJ, you may get enough kindling out of the Jackdaw nest to last the winter

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

1squidge wrote: »

Good to hear that Swallows nesting under your eaves. .

Nesting under eaves suggests House Martins, rather than Swallows.

kildare.17hmr

Tanner Fresh Armpit wrote: »

Jackdaws take about 30 days to fledge. You cannot legally remove this nest until August. At that point be prepared for an awful lot more material than would be expected. The chimney will contain a huge amount of twigs etc.

Why cant the nest be moved untill august?

1squidge

Tanner Fresh Armpit wrote: »

Nesting under eaves suggests House Martins, rather than Swallows.

The op said he had Swallows nesting so thats what I went on. Although you could be right about the House Martins. Ger.

meathstevie

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Why cant the nest be moved untill august?

That would have everything to do with different bits and pieces of legislation from different sources prohibiting the destruction of and interference with nests during the breeding season.

The only acceptable exceptions would be based on those nests causing serious risks to buildings and infrastructure. Say for example the jackdaws in the original post; if that chimney would be in use when they started nesting you would be able to remove it as it doesn't weigh up against the possibility of a few people risking carbon monoxide poisoning.

kildare.17hmr

meathstevie wrote: »

That would have everything to do with different bits and pieces of legislation from different sources prohibiting the destruction of and interference with nests during the breeding season.

The only acceptable exceptions would be based on those nests causing serious risks to buildings and infrastructure. Say for example the jackdaws in the original post; if that chimney would be in use when they started nesting you would be able to remove it as it doesn't weigh up against the possibility of a few people risking carbon monoxide poisoning.

is that not just for protected birds tho no?

IrishHomer

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

is that not just for protected birds tho no?

All wild birds are protected.

kildare.17hmr

IrishHomer wrote: »

All wild birds are protected.

jackdaws are under derogation, i thought that would only apply to birds not under derogatoin?

IrishHomer

All birds are protected under Wildlife Acts of Irish law.

The derrogation is drawn up and modified every year by the minister and it is tweaked and modified every year. This derrogation has to be signed off by EU too.

So its wrong to just say "Jackdaws are not protected".

kildare.17hmr

ok, so does that apply to jackdaws now as they are under derrogation is what im asking?

IrishHomer

The derrogation allows for farmers to protect crops that are being damaged not for people to rid of birds for other reasons.

So ye the Jackdaw is not to be interfered with in your chimney.

meathstevie

IrishHomer wrote: »

The derrogation allows for farmers to protect crops that are being damaged not for people to rid of birds for other reasons.

So ye the Jackdaw is not to be interfered with in your chimney.

That's the gist of it but it also includes the protection of livestock and prevention of disease spreading. And also, sound safety reasons are a valid exception.

Slogger Jogger

The chicks up the chimney don't half make a racket

We went through the same thing last year and the amount of sticks cleared from the chimney was unreal. They are very industrious. I wonder if its the same birds come back this year. Do they have a memory of where they nested before. Theres easier chimneys (uncowled) than ours around our little housing estate.

meathstevie

Squeeze through the cowl and have a nice secure roof....

Mothman

meathstevie wrote: »

Squeeze through the cowl and have a nice secure roof....

Indeed, safer from predators,

whyulittle

I have Jackdaws still bringing material to my chimney.

I cleared it out about a month or so ago, but there is fresh stuff coming down every other day.

They even dropped me down some bread rolls last week!