Peeping from the chimney, wwyd?

[FatOldBag]

More a wwyd. Every year pigeons nest in our chimney. Bloody peeping and cheaping wakes us up at 4/5am. We always say it's too late to do anything now the chicks are here but we'll sort it out next year. Today I hear fucking peeping in the chimney. Like a chick or small bird. Isn't it far too early for chicks? And as they've only just started moving in today wibu to sweep the chimney? Wwyd?

Can you have some sort of chimney cover fitted? I've never actually looked in to it but surely some sort of raised cover has been invented, that stops birds from getting in or nesting on a flat surface, but also allows the smoke to escape?

If not I am phoning the patent office.

No not too early, we have a dove cote and twenty odd white doves. We have 3 week old squabs, hatched in the coldest week.

You can get covers, but they're not always much use. We have one, but a starling flew in and got stuck once. I had to get a gas engineer out to disconnect the fire to rescue the wee bugger. I got it in a lidded bucket then let it out in our back garden, where it promptly flew straight back up onto the chimney again. Twat.

I have no advice (although I can see that would drive anyone crazy) but the thread title had me thinking there was a Peeping Tom type who had somehow maneuvered himself down the chimney upside down to watch you. I think I might need some coffee.

I need to block my chimney too but it could be too late. The jackdaws are back around and may have laid eggs already. The noise!

I thought this was going to be a friend about voyeurism! How disappointing.

*thread! Not friend

Yes, I wasn't thinking birds.

Same here re peeping Tom!

Unkind option, do you have a cat?! That's a joke vipers!

We have a chimney cover that has worked so far over the last 15 years! Used to get woodpigeons in the living room before that.

I think you can get ones that look just like an upturned sieve if you don't want anything too structural...

Oh I don't think it is early for chicks by the way or baby birds.

The cat has been going mad in the gardens trying to locate birds and probably nests.

We had this in our ventilation thingy on the wall in the bedroom! Was kind of cute and annoying at the same time. Not a pigeon though, just a very small bird.

You can get a chimney cowl fitted quite easily. Had I taken this advice I wouldn't be explaining to visitors why we have 'soot angels' on our ceiling from the time I had to let a concussed pigeon out of the chimney sweeping hatch, and it banged repeatedly into the white ceiling before finding the way out.

If you don't have a hatch then definitely fit cowl asap as otherwise one will inevitably fall down and expire and the first you'll know of it is the unusual fly population in the room...

Not sure if you can chase them out with a chimney sweep at this point? You could ask, sure they will have met this problem before?

Sounds like you have a nest up there. I'd get someone up there on a ladder, get the nest out and get a chimney cover to block it off for the future. A wee bit of expense now, but peace of mind for years to come...

Stop it Super, I now have visions of the OP trying to shove a cat up the chimney. 🙀😄

bang a tin like noise up the chimney to scare them everytime you here them. obvs not when chicks are due/born.

I thought this was going to be a friend about voyeurism! How disappointing.

Oh OP, you're going have to leave it again this year, well, as soon as they've gone you'll have to nip in and get it done.

*put a reminder on your phone or calendar.

I'd assumed a peeping tom with a heights fetish too.

You can get chimney cages, most chimney sweeps will fit them.

You get grates that simply sit over the top, like a wire grid, stops anything going in. We have them in this house and have no problems, last house we didn't and things were always nesting in there or coming down and flying into th house.

As well as being cruel, it is illegal to disturb nesting birds or destroy the nests.

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/read-and-learn/birds-and-the-law/whatsintheroof/removal.aspx

There are exceptions for feral pigeons but the law states they can only be removed by 'authorised persons'.

Pigeons breed all year long. They are mad.

You can get a mesh cover for your chimneys and I would recommend one - we have one and since then have had no baby birds falling down the chimney and no magpies falling into the lounge for us to find decomposing two weeks later after we got back from holiday

Has been a relief.

I got it in a lidded bucket then let it out in our back garden, where it promptly flew straight back up onto the chimney again. Twat.

Oh this made me laugh, and my boss now knows I'm doing sod all work!

We have the buggers roosting in our chimney too. You can hear them shitting down it sometimes. Like, a squirty splat noise on the flue.

feral pigeons

Valentines day is the day when birds traditionally get it on. So no, not too early for chicks.