Topic: Bird rescue

[aquilegia]

On Friday evening I heard a crash in the living room, coming from beyond the walls and thought "what are the nieghbours up to now?!"

A few minutes later I heard a distinct fluttering noise and after listening to the chimney I realised there was a bird stuck in it!

I called Mr Aqui for back-up, grabbed a towel and started pulling out the boards just above the fireplace, which where sealing it up.

It was amazing all the rubbish that has fallen down our chimney over the years - remains of nests, a squirrel's secret stash of nuts, bird poo, etc. I was worried about other dead animals fallen out and after a little panic, Mr Aqui took over.

The boards were clear, the noise had stopped and we were both worrying the bird was dead. But then...

Suddenly a sooty, panicked bird was flying round the living room. It went for the windows (none of them are big enough for a panicking bird to fly through!) Luckily it found a safe hiding place behind the door and settled down. I gently covered it in the towel (as I heard somewhere that when birds can't see they calm down) and really carefully picked it up and carried it outside.

I was worried that it might be in shock or have broken something, so trepidatiously released it from the towel in the garden. It looked a little stunned, before peering back at me as if to say thank you and then flew off into the nearby oak tree.

I was so happy it was ok I nearly cried (soppy cow!)

[Doris_Pinks]

Awwww   well done!    Bet that bird has a tale to tell it mates ;D

[Rosa_Mundi]

What kind of bird was it, Aquilegia? I've had starlings and a wood pigeon do the same. The pigeon was the funniest - our chimney not being blocked, it fell to the bottom and sat in the empty grate, looking at me reproachfully! It was perfectly happy to be picked up and carried outside. Did leave a trail of dust as it flew off, mind  ;D

[rosebud]

Hi Aqua ,so glad you were in when the bird fell down well done for the rescue ;D.

[aquilegia]

I think it was a young blackbird. Didn't get much of a look at it as I wanted to release it as quick as possible so it didn't go into shock.

There was so much soot in the living room we had to clean the carpet!

[Marianne]

Well done Aquilagia !  A task to be proud of !  ;D ;D ;)

[lorna]

Soppy cow? I don't think so :) just a kind person feeling the relief when you knew you had saved the bird. Well done. Hope it didn.t take too long to clean up the mess. Lorna.

[Gadfium]

Glad it lived to tell the tale!

My auntie had a gas-fire installed into the fireplace. Everything fine.

Two years later... oh-oh. Fluttering behind the gas-fire. Couldn't get the fire out more than two inches because of the gas-pipe connection.

Rang the RSPCA, rang the gas people... out with the wrenches, professionals, and newspapers... out (eventually) came a bedraggled starling, a recently dead starling, and an old corpse. Not nice.

Out went the live bird, the corpses got buried (what a horrible way to go), and, in went a phone call to a builder's yard... you're advised to put these round wire covers over the top of the chimney pots when you put a gas fire in... but we weren't informed.

In between then, and the time it took to get the cover over the chimney pot... another starling went down the flue.

 :o

Disbelief. All around.

Out came the wrenches... the fire.... the bird (unharmed)... and it all stayed out, until the mesh went over the top!

[BAGGY]

One morning I came downstairs and noticed bird poo on the floor.  Strange, I thought.  Made tea.  Went back to bed.  An hour or so later I came back downstairs and was squarked at by three starlings that were roosting in my rubber plant.  Scooped them up and let them go.  We have a cowl on our chimney so no idea how they got there.  Just glad that it was pre-cat or he would have had them.

[lorna]

Was just coming in from watering and daughters partner from next door came flying round..."Has a little bird come through your conservatory"(He gives it posh name it is really a covered in porch with doors either end!!)Daughters two cats were after it, anyhow he picked it up and tried to put it back in my conifers but it flew off. He found it beside my wheelie bins. So another bird rescued. Good job the dog wasn't out there. Lorna.

[Mrs Ava]

Before I Bought my one way ticket to Essex, we used to live in a lovely hundred year old Ragstone cottage in Kent with a lovely big open fireplace in the lounge.  Number one daughter had not been around for long, when one summers afternoon, a baby magpie decided to come down the chimney.  Really made me jump!  It sat on the grate looking at us!  Glad to say my darling Ava came home and helped it on its way to mum and dad who were sitting outside in a tree waiting.

Another occasion, a squirrel came down the chimney into the nursery and ran riot upstairs!  Daughter number one and I opened the windows and sat in the garden waiting for the pretty rat to clear off into the trees before having to scrub the upstairs clean!

Love wildlife and nature.........but wish it would stay outside where it belongs!

[merlin]

Funnily enough, had the same thing happen to me at work this morning. We work in a converted Victorian house and the fireplaces are intact but boarded over. Suddenly heard something banging against the board in an extremely imperious 'let me out' type manner. Prized off the board and out came a highly indignant wood pigeon. Luckily, pigeon unhurt but not at all chuffed.

[dibberxxx]

what a kind person and what a lovely tale weldone ;D ;D