superjules Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Argh! OH has gone to work and there's something alive behind the chimney vent in DS's bedroom. It's scratching around in there and I can see claws coming through the vent. It's not cheeping, so I don't know if it's a bird or ..... (gulp!) something else! OH is not going to be home until about 11pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I had this once and it turned out to be 'just' a Maybug. It made so much noise!!! Can you tuck your trousers into your socks and sleeves into some rubber gloves and remove the vent?..........or get someone to come and do it for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Its probably a bird Jules Can you put something at the bottom of the chimney to catch any dirt it might dislodge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 I'll have to be brave and unscrew the vent to let whatever it is out. Not looking forward to it. Going to take the kids to school now and deal with it when I get back. ((shudder)) I hope you're right Sarah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 sorry, no helpful suggestions, just lots of sympathy. I think if that were me, I'd call a chimney sweep out to investigate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Eww I am not good with the unknown factor in these cases.. sorry that didn't help did it... good luck, it will be fine, your bigger than whatever is in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my fat hen Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I am sure it will be a bird that has come down, if you have a towel or something ready when you let it out it's much easier to catch and saves some mess. Hope you get the poor thing out okay - we had one that came down when the fire was lit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Best of luck Superjules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Eww, it's the unknown factor isn't it? Good luck Jules! We had a baby starling under the bath the other week - scared poor Matthew witless when it started screeching and scrabbling while he was on the loo! I had to remove the bath panel and catch it with a fishing net. The nest was under the eaves and it had fallen down inside the wall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammy73 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Good luck!! hope it is "only" a bird!! Sharon x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I wonder if it is a squirrel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 I decided I couldn't wait any longer, the kids would have to be a few minutes late for school. I donned my marigolds, wielded OH's power screwdriver and told the kids to stand well back. I took the top two screws off the airvent first so that I could have a peep and it turned out to be a bird. Phew!! What a relief! Not quite sure what it was, maybe a blackbird, I don't think it was a starling, but that kind of size and obviously quite immature. Panic over - thanks everyone who panicked with me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 A starling comited suicide in my pond at the weekend I couldn't believe it I can only assume it was young and tried to land on a lily leaf to get a drink of water I found it floating face down on Friday night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammy73 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 So happy it was a bird!! I'd have been scared silly!!! Well done Jules Sharon x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 I came to the conclusion that anything vaguely rodenty wouldn't be thrashing around in there, I'm sure they can manage to run up the inside of a chimney without too much bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Let's hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Well done Jules. I was going to offer to come over and help out. Luckily you've sorted it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Well done for rescuing it Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Hubby often works on roofs & has twice dropped a mobile phone down a chimney. One time it came out the other end. The other time it didn't & kept ringing until the battery went flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Hubby often works on roofs & has twice dropped a mobile phone down a chimney.One time it came out the other end. The other time it didn't & kept ringing until the battery went flat Digressing somewhat, that reminds me of when OH lost a digital watch somewhere in the house and every morning the alarm used to go off at 7am for 20 seconds. He would run round trying to trace where the sound was coming from before the alarm stopped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Yep, we have a lost watch in the house too at the moment. Hubby is an early riser - 4.30 - 5.00, & its a multi alarm,so goes off 4 times at 5 min intervals. Maddeningly I am the only one it wakes up ....all the others sleep through it & however much I kick Hubby to go & find it & switch the darn thing off,he won't budge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Glad you got it sorted Jules! But those stories of lost things ringing reminded me of when I was very pregnant with son no3, waking at about 2am one December night by a very tinny version of Old Macdonalds Farm playing somewhere overhead It went off, but then started up again. This happened several times and started driving me mad. Finally decided it was coming from the loft - a christmas toy already wrapped for middle son. Well I couldn't get into the loft so had to kick OH out of bed to investigate. He got into the loft, unwrapped present, but couldn't find the off switch, so had to come down again to get toolkit for screwdrivers to take the cover off the battery compartment and remove battery. All done extremely quietly so as not to wake 18month old son and very light sleeper Luckily we can laugh about it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Well done Jules!! We had the same thing yesterday, awoke to scratching noises with some chirps thrown in. The cats were immediately on hand to "help"....we took away from panel we shut the chimney off with when the fire isn't in use and out flew a crow....I don't know who was more confused, him, the cats or us.....he flapped around by the window before we managed to release him. We recently uncovered a cast iron fireplace in a bedroom which had been boarded up for years....when we took away all the boards, there was a load of soot and muck and I reckon about a dozen skeletons...eeuugghh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Oh well done Jules, not sure I could have coped! I'm still not too confident about birds, despite keeping chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
