Blackbirds ruining our life

[Fourandtwentyblackbirdsinmypie]

Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration there, but really.
We've lived in this house for 3 years now, and blackbirds nest in the roof.
All. Year. Round.
Their gap seems to be directly above our bedroom window, meaning we can hear them all night scratching and moving about

In the morning, if we open the bedroom window they find this makes a useful perch for them to access their nest.

THEY ARE SO NOISY!

One nest a year wouldn't be an issue, but blackbirds dont ever leave their nests. The female and the offspring do, but the Male stays until he finds a new female. Then it starts all over again.

Is there any way we can get rid of them?

Our cat has brought 5 in in the past year and a bit, they still think it's a safe place to nest.

I know you cant move birds nests but are there any exceptions to this?! I'd love to have our bedroom window open this summer...

We have a couple of blackbirds near us that imitate police sirens - I love hearing it.

We do however have a demented goose with the loudest most continuous honk you have ever heard, whio goes slowly past our house at least a couple of times everyday, I'd happily cook him

There seems to always be a nest there. Theres never been a point where it has been silent

Have considered getting a super soaker and sitting in the garden... (lighthearted)

Are you sure they are blackbirds?

Starlings?

I used to have them nesting in my roof. They sound like they are wearing boots when they thump up and down. I got used to mine, and they always moved out after nesting season.

If you are hearing the noises all year round it may not be birds up there...rats or squirrels may have come in after the young birds/eggs. Wait until the young have fledged, then block up the holes.

You can get electronic bird scarers that imitate prey birds and/or birds in distress. Might be worth looking at?

Leave them alone!!

I bet they’re starlings.

"One nest a year wouldn't be an issue, but blackbirds dont ever leave their nests. The female and the offspring do, but the Male stays until he finds a new female."

I thought... the female moves on to a new nest, the male sticks around feeding the young, then he moves later to support his same female's new brood. Blackbirds might get 3-4 clutches out of a single breeding season. It may be new females moving in with their new males following - can you tell your own males apart?

We need a photo! I'm also fairly confident they are not blackbirds as they don't nest in the same place twice.

Another one saying that doesn't sound like blackbirds.....

I feel your pain. I have starlings nesting in my roof every year, and the noise is very irritating!! Thank goodness they move on after summer.

We're under attack from a magpie at the moment. It lands on a windowsill and starts pecking the glass really hard. I assume it's seeing its reflection and thinks it's a rival magpie. We had this from a blackbird a few years ago. It stopped eventually. The magpie is worse because it's bigger and it's having a go at most of the windows in turn, whereas the blackbird stuck to one.

Sorry for the awful pic, will try to get a better one later on. Sure it's not rats or mice, we see the birds constantly

Actually I will clarify that, they don't use the same nest. If old nest is removed they will nest again in the same place. Also blackbirds both raise their chicks.

Every day our blackbird (Dave) and his wife (Sandra) visit for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks in between
They bring their babies to us once they've fledged. Last years "teenagers" are still hanging around (Colin, Derek, Gerald and Martha)
They sit on the roof and sing to us to thank us.
What's not to love about that

We also have sparrows nesting above our bedroom window and see it as an honour they've chosen us even though they poo on the car like a Lancaster on a bombing run

On Friday one of the ASBO starlings shat on my DH, so it could be worse

I think that’s a crow but I’m sure someone more knowledgable will confirm

The bird poo all over the garden we can get over, after all you're going to end up with some amount of bird poo outside..

But the noise has slowly been driving us mad, and it is constant. Will get better pics later on!!

I don't think blackbirds come back to the same nest each year. It's more likely they abandon it.

You are allowed to remove nests once there are no young in it.

We had jackdaws in the chimney - they would wake us at an ungodly hour in the morning so we had it capped. Definitely do as others say and block the hole once the fledglings have left

Your photo doesn't look like a blackbird and they don't tend to nest where yours are.

It might be a starling or a jackdaw.

Have you listened to a blackbirds song? They are very distinctive.

Maybe call the RSPB and ask for advice?

It’s a Starling ... from birdspotter husband

Gasp0de we had one do that the other day.
We normally get the odd Woodpigeon flying into a bedroom window - you hear a thud, then can see the dust print on the window after they've flown away (probably with a terrible headache).

@Fourandtwentyblackbirdsinmypie are they completely black with orange beak? or do they have "speckles" and strut around like they own the place? My money is on starlings from your pic.

Are you sure they are blackbirds? Blackbirds nest low down and rarely in buildings.

I also bet they are starlings, which commonly nest in eaves and make a lot of scratching noises.

If they are really loud, big and have grey heads then they might be jackdaws.

I've had both. I like the starlings but the jackdaws in the chimney had to go.

That photo looks like a starling.

You need to call in someone to clear the roof and block it up.

Looks too small to be a crow. Need a better pic as can't tell if it's a blackbird or a starling. Also how is it getting in your roof if you've got those things underneath that block the eaves?