There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in there
now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really light a
regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10 days if ya
know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in there
now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? ...

Probably, but...

There's a real good chance there's a nest w/ hatchlings which can make a
mess if left. If can tell, and there is a nest, I'd try to dislodge it
at the same time.

We have barn swallows every year -- the rustle around a little, the
little ones cheep for a while and by mid-summer they're gone.

I keep intending to put a cap on and every winter goes by and I don't...

--

On Jun 12, 9:40�pm, TD wrote:
Red Green wrote :

There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in
there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna
really light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the
past 10 days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

If you throw in burning stuff, it'll kill the babies and they'll be left
inside to smell up the place.

Yeah, if you light a regular fire, that means opening the damper and
possibly the critters will come in your house.

One winter I had the pilot light go out on my gas furnace. �I called the
furnace people to light it for me....new homeowner and didn't know what to
do. �The guy looked inside and found a dead bird. �I had him put it in a
cardboard box and then i put the box outside to deal with the dead bird
later. �I went out 20 minutes later and the bird was gone. �Seems it was
only knocked out and came back to life outside. �I got a chimney cover soon
after.

wait till late summer after all babies are gone........

parents will have likely left to, then install cap.

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:13:53 -0500, Red Green
wrote:

There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in there
now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really light a
regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10 days if ya
know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

I had swallows build a nest in the porch rafters over my entryway one
year. I thought it would be a good science experience for my little
girl. It was. But the birds and 3-4 offspring **** like the dickens
all over the welcome mat, for months.

AND THEN, the offspring kept trying to come back, year after year, for
like 4-5 years. I had to put screen under the porch rafters to keep
them away.

If your birds are swallows, get 'em out now and keep them out.

-Zz

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:13:53 -0500, Red Green
wrote Re Bird in Chimney:

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think?

That will work, but you are going to need some amount of fire to
generate "draw" up the chimney.

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:13:53 -0500, Red Green wrote:

There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in
there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate
a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really
light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10
days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)


If you do the smoke routine, the birds may die from CO poisoning and fall
into the chimney. Can't imagine how a bird could be expected to fly out
of a chimney. There's not enough space to get wings flapping and create
the needed lift. There should be a cleanout at the bottom. Clean out
ash and old bones and then go get a cover for the chimney.


--

=================================================
Franz Fripplfrappl

On Jun 13, 7:55�am, franz fripplfrappl wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:13:53 -0500, Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in
there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate
a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really
light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10
days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

If you do the smoke routine, the birds may die from CO poisoning and fall
into the chimney. �Can't imagine how a bird could be expected to fly out
of a chimney. �There's not enough space to get wings flapping and create
the needed lift. �There should be a cleanout at the bottom. �Clean out
ash and old bones and then go get a cover for the chimney.

--

=================================================
Franz Fripplfrappl

have a chimney guy come, do camera inspection of chimney, which needs
done before its ever used.

the camera should scare birds o they leave, then cap can be put on
immediately if theres no nest with babies

franz fripplfrappl wrote:
....
... Can't imagine how a bird could be expected to fly out
of a chimney. There's not enough space to get wings flapping and create
the needed lift. ...

Somehow they manage it all the time despite that...

--

On Jun 12, 8:13*pm, Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in there
now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really light a
regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10 days if ya
know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)




These are probably chimney swifts and are protected by the
International Migrating Bird Treaty.
FYI
You are breaking the law if you remove an active nest, eggs, baby
birds, or adult birds.

They will vacate the nest at the end of the summer. You can put a
screen up then.
Screen should not be "back door screen", but hardware cloth with holes
big enough to not plug when flue gasses are expelled.


I am a former Certifed Chimney Sweep

"Red Green" wrote in message
...
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in there
now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to vacate a
bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really light a
regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10 days if ya
know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

You don't need a fire -- if you don't thenk they've nested yet, get either
your shop vac or a leaf blower (or both), stick it in your fireplace and
turn it on. They'll leave in haste and give you enough time to put on a
screen. I had something similar, when grackles started a nest inside the
long flexible bathroom fan exhaust vent. I just turned on the fan, they
scrambled out (and the fan also blew out the beginnings of a nest) and I
went outside and put on a screen.

If they've already started a nest, let your conscience, etc. . . .

franz fripplfrappl wrote in
:

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:13:53 -0500, Red Green wrote:

There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and
I failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird
in there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna
really light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the
past 10 days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)


If you do the smoke routine, the birds may die from CO poisoning and
fall into the chimney.

It would just fall to the damper from what I can tell.

Can't imagine how a bird could be expected to
fly out of a chimney. There's not enough space to get wings flapping
and create the needed lift.

Apparently the bird dows not know about the aerodynamics of lift. It is
too busy flying in and out. Yep, hear the wings flapping.

There should be a cleanout at the bottom.
Clean out ash and old bones and then go get a cover for the chimney.

CDET 14 wrote in
:

On Jun 12, 8:13*pm, Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and
I failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird
in there

now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a

bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna really
light a

regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the past 10 days if
ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)




These are probably chimney swifts and are protected by the
International Migrating Bird Treaty.
FYI
You are breaking the law if you remove an active nest, eggs, baby
birds, or adult birds.

They would be dead birds. So I guess I'm all set.


They will vacate the nest at the end of the summer. You can put a
screen up then.

Does the International Migrating Bird Treaty have a fund where you submit
request for monney for the any damage done?

Screen should not be "back door screen",

Really? I was gonna use that nice color coordinated charcoal plastic
stuff. Peachy!

but hardware cloth with holes
big enough to not plug when flue gasses are expelled.

Hardware cloth? Instead of some hack hardware cloth how about a real
cover that also keeps rain out?



I am a former Certifed Chimney Sweep

Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and I
failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird in
there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna
really light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the
past 10 days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

Open the damper. Get a cat.

My 7-year old cat, Bob, who hasn't been outside since he was a wee kitten
caught a swift.

He howled like the Cat of the Baskervilles until I came to see what all the
ruckus was about. There he was, silly grin on his face, one paw holding down
a scared itty-bitty bird.

I retrieved the unhurt, but terrified, bird and loosed it out the door. It
flew away.

Bob, however, wasn't fit to live with for about a week. He had to tell the
other cats about his adventure. Several times. Buttons popped off his shirt,
he swelled his chest so much.

"HeyBub" wrote in
:

Red Green wrote:
There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on and
I failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult bird
in there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't wanna
really light a regular fire since it's been hovering around 100 the
past 10 days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

Open the damper. Get a cat.

My 7-year old cat, Bob, who hasn't been outside since he was a wee
kitten caught a swift.

He howled like the Cat of the Baskervilles until I came to see what
all the ruckus was about. There he was, silly grin on his face, one
paw holding down a scared itty-bitty bird.

I retrieved the unhurt, but terrified, bird and loosed it out the
door. It flew away.

Bob, however, wasn't fit to live with for about a week. He had to tell
the other cats about his adventure. Several times. Buttons popped off
his shirt, he swelled his chest so much.




Got two of em'. Keeping fireplace blocked. Lat ting I want is to fetch
cats from the damn chimney!

Red Green wrote:
Open the damper. Get a cat.

My 7-year old cat, Bob, who hasn't been outside since he was a wee
kitten caught a swift.

He howled like the Cat of the Baskervilles until I came to see what
all the ruckus was about. There he was, silly grin on his face, one
paw holding down a scared itty-bitty bird.

I retrieved the unhurt, but terrified, bird and loosed it out the
door. It flew away.

Bob, however, wasn't fit to live with for about a week. He had to
tell the other cats about his adventure. Several times. Buttons
popped off his shirt, he swelled his chest so much.




Got two of em'. Keeping fireplace blocked. Lat ting I want is to fetch
cats from the damn chimney!

??? Never heard of a cat in a chimney! I guess it could happen...

Bob caught the swift in the kitchen, but (I reckon from the noise) he chased
it all over the place first.

With cats, it's not the capture - or even the possible meal - it's the
chase! All cats have a chase reflex; if you run into a mountain lion in the
park remember this: If you run, you merely die tired - the cat WILL chase
you.

HeyBub wrote:

....
With cats, it's not the capture - or even the possible meal - it's the
chase! All cats have a chase reflex; if you run into a mountain lion in the
park remember this: If you run, you merely die tired - the cat WILL chase
you.


With a mountain lion, you are strange enough that he is not sure whether
you are his dinner, or he is your dinner.
If you run from him, you have just told him.

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Red Green wrote:
Open the damper. Get a cat.

My 7-year old cat, Bob, who hasn't been outside since he was a wee
kitten caught a swift.

He howled like the Cat of the Baskervilles until I came to see what
all the ruckus was about. There he was, silly grin on his face, one
paw holding down a scared itty-bitty bird.

I retrieved the unhurt, but terrified, bird and loosed it out the
door. It flew away.

Bob, however, wasn't fit to live with for about a week. He had to
tell the other cats about his adventure. Several times. Buttons
popped off his shirt, he swelled his chest so much.




Got two of em'. Keeping fireplace blocked. Lat ting I want is to
fetch cats from the damn chimney!

??? Never heard of a cat in a chimney! I guess it could happen...

Bob caught the swift in the kitchen, but (I reckon from the noise) he
chased it all over the place first.

With cats, it's not the capture - or even the possible meal - it's the
chase! All cats have a chase reflex; if you run into a mountain lion
in the park remember this: If you run, you merely die tired - the cat
WILL chase you.




After having them in the household since my earliest memory, I know a lot
about them - more than they think I know and a lot less than I think I
know.

It's quite interesting how they are exactly the same whether it's feral,
domesticated or a wild big cat yet every one, like people, have
individuality and temperment.

I've learned a lot about their extensive complex language of body part
movements to communicate with each other and with humans. Complex in that
one movement can mean several things depending on their frame of mind.
And that movement+frame of mind is further complicated by what other
movement(s) accompany it. You start to get into some large factorial"!"
possibilities. And yet they each create new movements that they know we
will lean to understand - something betweeen their language and ours.

One of the most simple and useful is looking at the animal in the eyes.
This is always a challenge! unlesss...accompanied by a slow wince of the
eyes then it just means I want to look at you. Works both ways. If you
take note you will see they will stay relaxed. They will often wince
back. Between each other, you will see the wince with a slow head turn
right afterwards. I've seen it personally as well as read about it in a
study. Of course I could not attest to it but the study showed this is
exactly the same with big cats.

Yep, with big or little cats it's the chase. Once it's started, instinct
and genetics take over. The mouse, 3/4 dead and not moving, the cat will
paw and bat it till it moves somehow then beat another 1/8th dead.

A simple summary I saw was they stay with us because simply because they
like us and we like them. We make life easy for them. Knowing the animal,
I think the second part carries more weight. They latch on to and go with
the primary human they know as "The Feeder".

M Q wrote:

With a mountain lion, you are strange enough that he is not sure
whether you are his dinner, or he is your dinner.
If you run from him, you have just told him.

Good point.

I just read a story about a senior couple who found a bobcat with a litter
of two under the hedge in their (large) backyard.

Each evening the couple sit in their backyard and, from a distance, watch
the two cubs growing up. Momma bobcat is well aware of the people but, as
long as they keep a respectful distance, doesn't seem to mind too much.
That, and the raw chicken the couple leave for the critters.

Red Green wrote:

A simple summary I saw was they stay with us because simply because
they like us and we like them. We make life easy for them. Knowing
the animal, I think the second part carries more weight. They latch
on to and go with the primary human they know as "The Feeder".

True. It's said you train a dog with praise and correction. You train cats -
to the degree they CAN be trained - with food. My granny used to say: "That
looks like something the cat dragged in the dog wouldn't have!" I saw a
Discovery Channel show on varieties of prey. Without question, the leader of
the list, with over 10,000 distinct prey items (insects, rodents, birds,
reptiles, etc.) was the domestic housecat.

My view is that you can have fun WITH a dog, but cats are fun just to watch.

Here's an example:

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

" wrote in
:

On Jun 12, 9:40�pm, TD wrote:
Red Green wrote
innews:Xns9ABBD7F725ADCRedGreen@216
.168.3.70:

There was no screen cover on this HUD Wreck I've been working on
and I failed to put one on right after getting it. I hear an adult
bird in there now. Goes in and out. It's a straight shot up.

Will smoking em with some newspaper and maybe pinecones get em to
vacate a bit while I run up and put a cover on ya think? Don't
wanna really light a regular fire since it's been hovering around
100 the past 10 days if ya know what I mean.

Please, no cracks about bats in my belfry :-)

If you throw in burning stuff, it'll kill the babies and they'll be
left inside to smell up the place.

Yeah, if you light a regular fire, that means opening the damper and
possibly the critters will come in your house.

One winter I had the pilot light go out on my gas furnace. �I call
ed the
furnace people to light it for me....new homeowner and didn't know
what to

do. �The guy looked inside and found a dead bird. �I had h
im put it in a
cardboard box and then i put the box outside to deal with the dead
bird later. �I went out 20 minutes later and the bird was gone. ï¿
½Seems it was
only knocked out and came back to life outside. �I got a chimney c
over soon
after.

wait till late summer after all babies are gone........

parents will have likely left to, then install cap.



FYI Followup:

This was the course I took. No need to wait until late summer.