dealing with birds nests

[moodiestmare]

Just wondering what everyone does when they have birds nests in thier stables.

 

[catdragon]

Personally I'd leave them there to the end of the season, then remove them. I'm always worried the mud nest will dry, crack and fall with their babies in them if the nests are old. At least a new one is stronger & up to the task.

 

[merlinsquest]

Poke them well with a stick and hope nothing too bad falls on your head....

There shouldnt be any babies now hopefully

 

[moodiestmare]

Thanks! The babies are grown up now but there are about 6 birds using it flying in and out!

I don't mind them being there at all but the mess is astronomical!!!

Plus they keep flying out the doors when I am using them and messing all over my car!

 

[merlinsquest]

Poke em down anyway then......

Cant abide bird crap over my stable/horse/rugs..... So I am cruel and poke the beginnings of any nests that I see overhead..... They soon learn to give up and go elsewhere

The last straw one year was when the babies fell out of the nest and merlin squashed them on his rubber matting .... YUK!!!

 

[helenhorse]

[ QUOTE ]
Poke em down anyway then......

Cant abide bird crap over my stable/horse/rugs..... So I am cruel and poke the beginnings of any nests that I see overhead..... They soon learn to give up and go elsewhere

The last straw one year was when the babies fell out of the nest and merlin squashed them on his rubber matting .... YUK!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

sorry, but i couldnt help but crack a smile at that!!, i can just imagin him now

haha, just hit it down , they are old enough now to stop going back and forth.

 

[hellybelly6]

I think it is illegal to knock birds nests down when they are nesting.

 

[merlinsquest]

But they shouldnt be nesting now.... its too late surely???

Also who would know

Or if this is for me..... they cant nest till they have something to nest in

I just make sure they dont get the foundations off the ground

 

[hellybelly6]

Not nesting now, but its still unfair to knock a nest down. The swallows here still have chicks though.

 

[merlinsquest]

No less fair than letting them nest fully and having the whole nest fall onto merlins rubber mats for him to dance on

Perhaps if their nests were slightly better constructed on a beam that doesnt lean badly, it may stay up there..... so I might be doing them a favour in the long run

Also I dont want to be covered in bird crap all year...... thats not unfair is it???

 

[Shilasdair]

I love birds' nests and always leave them.
S

 

[hellybelly6]

I have several nests in Jake's stables and love having them, feel sad when they leave. I clean the mess up, no different from mucking out or cleaning out my cat's litter tray. I see it as part of being in the country.

 

[helenhorse]

it depends where you are really, so no point arguing over wether to hit it down..if the chicks have fled the nest but still keep flying back and forth occasionally then knock it down....most will be getting ready to fly away now, to somewhere warmer so its just giving them that extra push, and youl be helping the parents in urging them to come away.

 

[moodiestmare]

Maybe I'll leave it a bit longer. The birds nest is RIGHT OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE STABLE though and they keep pooing on my poor horse!

I do like having the nest though but I thought they would have flown it by now.

Why couldn't they have built it in the corner?!

 

[merlinsquest]

Because that would have been convenient

 

[kate081]

Sounds like a swallow & they have more than one brood so chicks will still be snuggling back up in the nest. Swallows eat flies so I like them! They'll migrate back to Africa in the next week or two so be kind & be patient.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

If the nest is empty and you believe there are already enough songbirds in the world, knock it down. The parents - if they survive the mass slaughter of migratory songbirds that passes for sport in parts of Europe - will try to start all over again next spring. However, if you believe that songbirds have as much right to live their lives as you or I and indeed make the countryside all the more beautiful, then leave the nest alone and buy a book on tolerance. Sorry but ye gods. Be aware that it is illegal to interfere with the eggs or young of nesting songbirds. There's a swallow's nest right smack over the dividing wall of my ned's stable. The wall doesn't have a grill on top so is a useful place to put rugs. The swallows crap on the wall so I left a strategically placed ancient, tatty rug on top of everything so we could all live happily together. There's about a 2 inch high pile of swallow poo there now and it will take all of 3 minutes to zap it away with the pressure washer when the swallows and house martins leave in a few days time.

 

[Crazy_Caz]

Here here! Box of Frogs! well said.....

We have House Martins in one of our stables - nests their every year.... whats little birdie poo.... compared to the pleasure of seeing them produce the young who then go on to fly away....

 

[merlinsquest]

What if you dont particularly like birds....... not saying I dont (as I do) ..... but there are plenty of people who dont like them and some that are downright scared of them????