Remimax Posted June 13, 2019 Report Share Posted June 13, 2019 6 minutes ago, chrisjpainter said: There is a shortage of starlings though. Plenty of birds would be better off if domestic cats didn't kill so much. And amphibians. And reptiles. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 13, 2019 Report Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, chrisjpainter said: There is a shortage of starlings though. Plenty of birds would be better off if domestic cats didn't kill so much. And amphibians. And reptiles. 100% a menace. If my dog so much as wandered on a neighbours property there would be uproar never mind defecating in every flower bed. Starlings are a very useful little bird to have around. Edited June 13, 2019 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted June 13, 2019 Report Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) I had Starlings going in the guttering and up under the slates and felt into the roof space over the bedroom making a nest and waking us early mornings. I hung a Magpie decoy on the gutter were they were getting in, it worked for a few days as they would not go anywhere near the decoy.Then they found a way in 10 foot from the decoy so I put another Magpie decoy there which, during the next night was attacked twice by an Owl.First hit woke us up and the second hit I had my head out of the bedroom window looking for the cause of the noise. The Starlings then became accustomed to the Magpies and would sit adjacent to them and continued building the nest. l left them to it as by now they had young. When they fledged I rolled chicken wire and lay it in the gutter. They have been back this year looking for entry but failed to get in. Edited June 13, 2019 by Good shot? Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted June 13, 2019 Report Share Posted June 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, Good shot? said: I had Starlings going in the guttering and up under the slates and felt into the roof space over the bedroom making a nest and waking us early mornings. I hung a Magpie decoy on the gutter were they were getting in, it worked for a few days as they would not go anywhere near the decoy.Then they found a way in 10 foot from the decoy so I put another Magpie decoy there which, during the next night was attacked twice by an Owl.First hit woke us up and the second hit I had my head out of the bedroom window looking for the cause of the noise. The Starlings then became accustomed to the Magpies and would sit adjacent to them and continued building the nest. l left them to it as by now the had young. When they fledged I rolled chicken wire and lay it in the gutter. They have been back this year looking for entry but failed to get in. Ah you should have escalated! Magpie...then hawk then...eagle...then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted June 13, 2019 Report Share Posted June 13, 2019 Rapid Mk 1 ?? Joking obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 14, 2019 Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 A few years ago I had them nesting inside the soffit, where a bad board had allowed them access. I was amazed at the speed they enlarged the access hole, then when we got to replace the board (in the autumn) - by how much nesting material they had brought in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted June 14, 2019 Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 I once watched a decorator repair a hole under roof tiles where starlings where nesting at the time.He used sand and cement,i watched that bird going nuts trying to get back in,next morning when I remembered about it,the bird was going in and out of the nest,amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted June 15, 2019 Report Share Posted June 15, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, vampire said: I once watched a decorator repair a hole under roof tiles where starlings where nesting at the time.He used sand and cement,i watched that bird going nuts trying to get back in,next morning when I remembered about it,the bird was going in and out of the nest,amazing. Hence suggesting the use of wire netting! Rats will chew through most thing to get where they want to be, but they have difficulty with wire netting!😉 For clarification I was aware it was starlings under discussion, but I used rats as an example that not much could get past wire netting! Lol! Edited June 15, 2019 by panoma1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted June 16, 2019 Report Share Posted June 16, 2019 Starlings have been all but absent around here for about 6-7 years but this year they seem to be back in numbers - several broods flying around trying to avoid the Sparrowhawks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted June 16, 2019 Report Share Posted June 16, 2019 (edited) Just moved into another house a few weeks ago, loads of Starlings in this area PR4, none nesting in or house but brood after brood have appeared on our lawn over the last few weeks . All very healthy. Added bonus I haven’t seen a cat in our garden since we arrived. We’ve moved to a cat free area. 👍 Edited June 16, 2019 by Fisheruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted June 16, 2019 Report Share Posted June 16, 2019 1 hour ago, bruno22rf said: Starlings have been all but absent around here for about 6-7 years but this year they seem to be back in numbers - several broods flying around trying to avoid the Sparrowhawks. Hurrah 5 minutes ago, Fisheruk said: Just moved into another house a few weeks ago, loads of Starlings in this area PR4, none nesting in or house but brood after brood have appeared on our lawn over the last few weeks . All very healthy. Added bonus I haven’t seen a cat in our garden since we arrived. We’ve moved to a cat free area. 👍 Also Hurrah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted June 16, 2019 Report Share Posted June 16, 2019 Loads of starling round here , often see a huge murmuration in winter coming down the A1 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derbyduck Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 On 13/06/2019 at 21:27, Walker570 said: Roll some fine wire mesh up and stuff in the hole and then apply the foam. Foam on it's own will not always work. I had the same problem in the eaves of my house and the birds...great tits..just dug their way in. Eventually when doing a full repair on the eaves we filled it with mortar, job done. could they have been digging thier way out ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 2 hours ago, derbyduck said: could they have been digging thier way out ? Well if they did then they dug their way in again because I filled the original hole with expanding foam..TWICE!! If the access is blocked then put up a nest box alongside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertt Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 It's no wonder they've a bad name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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