Monday, June 7, 2010

Chimney Sweeps

Having taken on board the warning from Quilly and Silverdrake I got a local in to do the chimney today. What a racket!

By the time he flew out of the stove he was spotty young starling doing the sooty crashlanding into windows curtains and furniture... but I believe he was a snow white dove at the top of the chimney before he fell from grace, or the chimney top.

As you may gather I had bird down the chimney today. Much chaos and excitement trying to get the silly noisy bastard out of there squawk, scratch, scrabble flutter, squawk, shower of debris... I finally gave up trying to reach around the baffleplate into the chimney - like cray hole but warmer (the fire was long out, so not warm enough to be a problem) and was trying to work out if I could get a gaff or something down to what I was convinced was going to be a chimney-block dead bird, when it found its own out into the fireplace of the burner itself - fortunately the door was now open, and a manic, very scared and very pissed-off sooty starling was trying to find his way out of the house... I got him out of the door.

Anyway, the boys are home, full of flathead and chips.

4 comments:

  1. Y'a might want to talk to the landlord about a ... drat, I don't know the right term, but a cap for your chimney? Something to help keep the birds out? If it doesn't have one, that is.

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  2. heh, we take what we can get, Quilly :-) - i could use your advice on a matter I feel you know a lot more than I do - could you drop me an e-mail on Daveza(at)iafrica.com please?

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  3. Mike there is a cap. The daft bird REALLY had to squeeze. Still John is coming for supper tomorrow and I'll mention it.

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  4. Oh. Now I wonder if it was trying to nest. No, you're headed into fall, that shouldn't be... birds do decide to go strange places. Bizarre. Hopefully you won't get a regular visitation :-)

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