Pigeon Down

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Do you know anyone with a ferret or failing that, a big nasty cat!

My two cats are very interested in the goings on. The gaps are just too small even for them. One was trying to get a paw up there but without any luck. Reckon a ferret would do the business but I don't know of anyone with one locally. Maybe I'll try the Freegle Cafe

 

[vernon]

Are pigeon's the only bird capable of VTOL

No. An ex-girlfriend could do that when you sneaked up behind her and shouted boo!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

and try to grab it (gently) round the body, clamping the wings to its sides.
Don't grab the tail, as the whole lot will come away in your hand! This happened to the first one I rescued; I felt sorry for it, held it while it drank its fill, as it was very thirsty after a day in the chimney, then released it.

Why would you ever hold it by the tail anyway?

Yes, hold it with your hands round its sides so that it can't open its wings and cause a scene!
Having worked with ducks and chickens in the past, I learned this VERY quickly!!

 

[Gravity Aided]

Are pigeon's the only bird capable of VTOL

Chimney Swifts. Fastest bird in North America (60MPH) but also capable of flying directly down the chimney, where they attach their nests to the sides of the chimney with their spit.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Knew that grade school report would come in handy some day.

 

[swee'pea99]

Lower one of the cats down the chimney on a rope then haul it back up after the kerfuffle subsides.

 

[Globalti]

The Yorkshire DIY chimney sweep is of course achieved by dropping a chicken down the chimney but you've got to be sure to catch it in a sack when it emerges, filthy and outraged.

You need one of these to keep rain and pigeons out; get the stainless steel version because the alloy ones don't last very long:

 

[simon the viking]

My mum used to have this problem all the time and called her gas fitter out every time to remove the gas fire I assume at money.....

However the last time he couldn't get to the pigeon so he used an air pistol my mum had to shoot it, left behind from when me and my Bro moved out.....she normally keeps it loaded under her pillow....... no not really she just keeps it in the laundry room... to shoot the washing machine I assume.....

She's now had the above cover (suggested by @Globalti) fitted, on her chimney not her head obviously.....

 

[Spinney]

When we moved in we got the woodburner chimney swept and the man pulled out a couple of dead birds.
He came back and stuck one of these in the chimney pot:
http://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/...d-black.html?gclid=CJKco9Wnhb4CFWjKtAodFCMAhQ

 

[IDMark2]

You have to take a different approach to getting to it if you or your cats can't get there, so you have to tempt it down, which it will do when it gets hungry enough... Put a little saucer of seeds on top of the fire and when, hungry and tired, needing desperately to survive it comes down to eat them...release the cats!

 

[swee'pea99]

The Yorkshire DIY chimney sweep is of course achieved by dropping a chicken down the chimney but you've got to be sure to catch it in a sack when it emerges, filthy and outraged.

You need one of these to keep rain and pigeons out; get the stainless steel version because the alloy ones don't last very long:

I like the look of that. What's it called?

 

[Fnaar]

where they attach their nests ... with their spit.

I'm gonna try that with my sleeping bag, next time I go camping on a mountain.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I like the look of that. What's it called?

A chimney cover

 

[Gravity Aided]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxkCq-hhHKk

We call them chimney caps over here, but we do not often have the pottery top on chimneys, just the masonry bit..

 

[Gravity Aided]

I'm gonna try that with my sleeping bag, next time I go camping on a mountain.

Good concept. Good luck with that. Might stick with the portaledge and some pitons, nuts and cams, though, unless you make really sticky porridge.