Bird nesting problem

E

EastBelfastian

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So every year we have birds that nest in either the the corner (or thereabouts) of the gutter or the roof. Its starling birds that come every year without fail and nest. I think they must have started coming at some point after 2007 which was when the PVC guttering was installed as I do not remember them being around when we had the old guttering. When the newborn start to fly they end up poo poo everywhere including all over the driveway , my car which is parked on the street, and my dads car parked in the driveway right beside the area in question gets the most amount of bird poop of them all.

So this year I found out about gutter spikes - so purchased a few pieces of them online - so my Dad went up the ladder early March time (with the help of me holding it steady at the bottom) and fitted these gutter spikes.

All went according to plan - at least until now as I have discovered the bird is back and is still able to access.... wherever it is they go to once they land on the gutter. They seem to enter via a small gap in the corner. I'm a bit frustrated as the bird is clearly starting to build a nest now so we cannot disturb that but on the other hand I'd much rather the bird spikes had been working sucessfully in the first place in order to have prevented it.

I took video footage of the bird getting through and uploaded it to my OneDrive for you all to see: https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvxDFgUHUgNCgrcdaz6c6NOwnFEANA
Watch to the end and you'll see the cheeky bird make its way in.

You can then see from this clip that the bird seems to have to move quite steeply underneath a spike to get in: https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvxDFgUHUgNCgrce2_7HDF17EAp7xw

I don't know for sure where the birds are making the nest maybe some of you in here could advise where it might be - personally I suspect it is under the little corner piece of the roof as the bird ALWAYS lands on the corner gutter piece to enter rather than entering from right or the left of the trail of spikes. Does anyone think this is correct? Or could they be getting into the sofit?

Once the nesting season and all that is over I'd be keen to get whatever hole or cavity they are getting into, filled or closed off to stop birds entering in the future as they are a right pain. However, I'd be keen to know exactly where they could be nesting before figuring out how to get their nesting spot sealed off to stop them coming back to build a nest in the future.

Grateful for any advice
 
Would suggest you need to get back up the ladder for a proper look.
Those spikes look awful I would remove them and use chicken wire in future to seal the access hole
 
EastBelfastian, good evening.

Good images.

Resourceful Starling? and they must like the nest site because of the return year on year.

not easy to see but? could be that the lower end of the Hip tile [which is generally filled with mortar] is open and it is the hip tile open end that the Starlings are nesting in??

Only way to be sure is to get up there in late summer and have a look.

As an aside last year some of the Starlings around here appeared to have two broods??

if they aint paying the rent kick them out at the end of their season??

Ken.
 
We used to have terrible problems with starlings nesting between the tile and the felt. Was worse when they started running up inside the soffit. My neighbour had the same problem. We stopped them by fitting a comb filler.

5B2F2A49-C27B-407E-B2E3-0ABA5BD1584E.jpeg
 
noseall said:
Starlings refer to them as nest guards.:mrgreen:
Click to expand...
indeed, those spikes have dramatically improved the nest site making the nest safer from predictors, Crows that normally prey on Starling nests won't stand a chance.

To the OP - I would be delighted if they were nesting on my house, Starlings are in massive decline, very sadly now classed as an endangered species and Red listed, numbers down by 66% in the last 40 years.
If you must do something, please wait until after this years breeding season to stop them nesting next year, but as they have clearly started please let them finish, and do remember it is an offence (up to £5,000 fine) to interfere with an active birds nest.
 
The bird spikes are only for big fat pigeons. You need a roofer to come lift that hip and bed it on some compo.
 
Mine isn't a hipped roof but I have had the same problem with starlings nesting under the end tiles over the gable wall on the left side of the house at the rear , and bees nesting in the similar place on the right side of the house at the front. My ladder isn't long enough but my builder neighbour has promised to have a look when the current situation improves . I think there is a comb filler but there must be a gap at the end of the roof that needs to be filled..
 
Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions.

I suspect @Makie and @Mw Roofline are correct that the hip tile needs repointed. From the ground I can't see that it needs repointed. My Dad has been up the ladder and cannot see where the birds are getting in. Unfortunately I find going up a ladder that high very difficult - I froze 3/4 of the way up the ladder last time I attempted it recently lol! But I do suspect that something needs filled in at the hip tile area. This is probably the best scenario to hope for and will have someone evaluate this after the birds have fled the nest later in the year. Otherwise we will need to have someone install a bird comb which no doubt will be an expensive job.

At least for now the bird spikes do seem to be reducing quite significantly the opportunities for the birds to poop on our driveway and our cars.
 
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