New tenant in the attic

3rdDegree

Hi Folks

We have some birds nesting and getting into the attic. They have chicks (I can hear them but can't get in to see them), so I can't do anything with then for now. But when I went up to the attic last night, there was bird droppings all over the place, so they are making a bit of a mess. I already spent a lot of money getting the roof repaired from damage birds have done under the tiles over the last 20 years and don't want to start letting them start to nest there again; but I guess that's a problem for the future.

My question for now is: What type of bird is this (I'm ashamed to admin I'm rather clueless) and when can I expect the chicks to have flown (assuming they recently hatched). Here a picture of one of the parents:



Many thanks.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's a Starling, the usual culprit in attics, and the young fledge three weeks after hatching.

recedite

Block up their access hole when they have gone, and all is quiet. Otherwise they will be back next year to use the same spot.
You shouldn't really have a hole that big into your attic in the first place, not if its a fairly conventional roof (as it looks to be in the photo).

3rdDegree

recedite wrote: »

You shouldn't really have a hole that big into your attic in the first place, not if its a fairly conventional roof (as it looks to be in the photo).

Agreed, especially after what I spent to get the roof checked, repaired and blocked up last year! Certainly will be checking into getting access blocked after they have gone.

Thanks

Outkast_IRE

Had the same issues in previous years. They ended up damaging the roofing felt.
In this type of roof they get in via the small hole in the arch of the tile at the eaves. We bought chicken wire and in the later autumn/early spring we cut the chicken wire to suit and inserted it into each hole. We ensure it was enough wire that it wouldnt budge once inserted.

No issues since.

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emo72

I have them in a shed. It's the same type of roof. I leave them alone, been coming back for years now. Never noticed any damage on the ceiling internally.

Outkast_IRE

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From the outside, ideally you need a proper double ladder and someone to foot/hold the ladder.

The chicken wire was folded and shaped so that it would need to be squeezed a bit to go into the hole, and would then spring open a bit once in. Once you do it once you can prepare a load of them on the ground and just pop them in.

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Outkast_IRE

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The hole they come in and out of is the narrowest part. If you shape it right you should be able to just slip it in, but they wouldnt be strong enough to pull it out.

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