What is this noise in the chimney breast and who do I call to sort it out?

[Handletree]

It sounds like there is some kind of creature in the chimney breast. My husband phoned me last week to tell me he thought something was in there but the noises stopped so he thought it had gone. I feel really freaked out! I’m in the quiet kitchen and I can hear it moving every fifteen seconds or so. Just shuffling movement/scratching noises. Wouldn’t there be cheeping if it was a bird? I’ve seen no droppings anywhere in the house either. The chimney breast is covered over on both sides - one side boarded with an air vent at the bottom, which is where we can hear the sound coming from. The other side is a gas fireplace. Who do I call?? I’m worrying that a rat might come out of the vent at any moment.

Birds have got in somehow and nested . We have the same problem. Unfortunately you will have to wait till they leave the nest , then get someone in to check the chimney or re cap it.

Ghost busters!

Wouldn’t we hear different noises if it was birds? Cheeping sounds? It sounds as thought it’s right at the bottom, but can’t tell whether that’s because of the vent. I don’t hear anything in the bedrooms. My husband put his ear up against the breast and was convinced the creature was the other side of it.

Could be crows, we've currently got them nesting in one of our redundant chimney breasts. They are very clever birds and have found a way in, and although it's capped it obviously isn't fitted well enough. I've never heard cheeping either but they are definitely there!

How do you know it’s crows, do you see them coming and going to the chimney? I might have a look if that’s the case. I’d be much happier with a nest than something at the bottom. My fear is either a rat/mouse or a bird which has fallen down and would presumably start to decompose.

Is there any way to check if it is a bird which has fallen down? I really don’t want to leave something to die in my chimney. My husband heard a noise in there last Thursday so if a bird has fallen in then I don’t know how it has survived.

Can you get a chimney sweep to come and look? They usually have cameras.

I’ve just looked at our chimney from the outside and it doesn’t look like there is anything on it to stop birds getting in. Who am I supposed to call if there is a bird in there?!

Probably a bird that's fallen down and can't get out. Call a chimney sweep out.

It's Theresa May hiding from the rest of her Cabinet. You'll have to put up with it for a few weeks more I'm afraid.

It's Theresa May hiding from the rest of her Cabinet. You'll have to put up with it for a few weeks more I'm afraid.

It's probaby a bird, OP. Poor thing.

Not sure how it’d work with a gas fireplace but we had this happen, and the advice was to open the wood burner doors and shine a bright light. It worked! There was no cheeping by the way, just a lot of scratching and shuffling. Now got covers over the chimney.

Can you remove the air vent? It sounds like a bird has fallen down. Unless you can get access there's only one outcome really... And that's not pleasant.

One of our old houses had fireplaces in every room. 9 of the bloody things. We didn't realise that one of the chimney coverings had fallen off and a crow or something had fallen in until there was a shower of maggots dropping into the grate from the dead bird. The maggots that didn't fall were a mass of flies pretty quickly and filled the small room. One can of raid and one sweep of the vacuum cleaner later and the problem was dealt with. (not envy)

If you can get access, whether from the vent or removal of the gas fire, you'll need to call a chimney sweep, quickly too if the creature is still making noise.

I’ve called a chimney sweep and he’s coming this afternoon. He’s hoping he can try to get it out of the air vent hole if it is a trapped bird. It’s behind a radiator though so no idea how successful that will be. Fingers crossed he will tell me it’s just a nest. Thanks for the advice.

Hi I’m just reading through this as I have a similar issue, I’m wondering if the chimney sweep was able to find out what it was in the chimney breast!?