Starlings (?) in the loft Nov

[keggyroo]

Hi, I have what appears to be a nesting pair of starlings and a bunch of noisy babies in my loft. I am just wondering if anyone knows what I should do about them. I am figuring they are protected whilst hey are breeding which is fine but after how do I get them out. There is no way on earth I would use traps or any other nasty ways of evicting them but I am not entirely sure its a good idea for them to move in indefinitely!
Also I have two young children, is there any danger to their health having them nesting up there with regards to the poo and stuff?
Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to help.

[solus]

Whereabouts are you? It is VERY unlikely that any wild birds will be nesting in the UK now.

If these are Starlings it sound as if they may be roosting in your eaves or roof space - do you only hear them at dusk/dawn? If this is what you have then they are only likely to be there for a short while, perhaps until the weather improves and they move roost sites. Are you sure they are IN the loft (whatever "they" are) rather than just being under the eaves? Noises from the eaves can sound as if they are coming from inside when in fact they are not.

Or you could have something else, which you might not be so happy with - grey squirrels, mice, rats even?

[keggyroo]

My husband opened the hatch and he saw two birds and he said they had a hint of blueish colour on them. I have heard baby squawking noises, and yes they are only noisy when its dusk. Also the noise is only coming from the corner of the loft in my bathroom, I haven't heard any scurrying noises or anything any where else. Crikey I hope we don't have rats up there!
We have bats up there but we never hear them.
We are in the countryside also so we do get a lot of birds nesting on our house through the spring- summer, just never had any in the loft before!!
I hope we haven't got a menagerie going on!

[solus]

Blueish? Pigeons perhaps? Wonder if a couple of mis-placed loft/homing pigeons have set up their home in yours? Pigeons as far as I know tend to breed all/most of the year but you'll need someone who knows about Pigeons if that's what you've got!

OK, if you've actually seen birds then they must be your guests - it's just that people often think it's birds making noises without having seen what is there!

[keggyroo]

My husband said they were definitely not pigeons. But hes not exactly an expert!!
Do I just let them be and see or do I call someone in? Also apart from ghost busters who should I call!

[rossy]

no way will they be nesting, why do you want to get rid of them ? the weather is bad and they will only be roosting, but if you cant put up with the racket and want them out, get up early in the morning and see where they are leaving your loft from, then you have an option , block the entrance, but if you have bats , THEY ARE PROTECTED, its advisable you dont, because if you are caught, you might be prosecuted, rossy.

[keggyroo]

I don't want to get rid of them as I know that at least they will survive the winter in there and as our birds are in decline I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt them, I just don't know if they are a health hazard and what have you, also I want them to go before breeding season as itll be a blooming nightmare! We will put a nest box up there under the roof bit outside for them, as we have the little birds (forget what they are) nesting all along the underneath part outside in their mud nests in the spring so a few more wont make a difference.

It just sounds like there are a lot of them and when I saw the bird fly in past the window I heard loads of baby bird noises, which is why I thought it was a bit odd considering the time of year. I guess it could just be that there are more than two of them up there, as my husband saw two of them flying around in there.

The bats are fine, one of my neighbours has loads of pipistrels (sp?) in her loft and we have had a bat flying around the house before, I am fine with the bats oddly but just worried about if the birds poo and stuff is going to affect the children.

Thanks for the replies though, I am new to the countryside and all these animals! I just need the badgers to move into the garden and all will be well! Our houses are built on an old sawmill site and there used to be loads and loads of badgers because of the heat from the constant fires keeping them warm Lots of our neighbours have had badgers but maybe we are just the house of winged beasts!!

[rossy]

take it you have got house martins in the mud nests ,you lucky people, they are black and white, lovely birds, tell me do the children go into the loft ? if they dont it would be highly unlikely they will come into contact with the poo, seems to me you have a wildlife haven, and most people i know would love it, enjoy it thats my advice, rossy.

[solus]

The mud huts under the eaves will probably be House Martins' nests. Lucky you!

Starlings when they go to roost make a lot of noise, sort of chattering amongst themselves so it still could be a roost - again, lucky you! Did you happen to see "Autumnwatch" the week before last when they filmed a massive Starling roost at Aberystwyth pier, and also set up sound equipment to record the "going to bed" noises they made as they settled in for the night. Perhaps this is what you are hearing? If it's a Starling roost you have. And bear in mind that is only a thought.

I can't see the droppings being a health hazard unless you shove the kids up in the loft! Again, IF this is a Starling roost (or any other communal bird roost) it'll only be temporary and you can go up there once they've gone and sweep up the droppings and scrub the floor/joists etc. with disinfectant, wearing disposable gloves and a face mask, just to be on the safe side. Or send hubby up there to do it - that, after all, is one of the reasons we keep husbands, isn't it?!.

Edit: Rossy posted much what I said, only he types quicker!

[keggyroo]

Thanks for the replies you have put my mind at rest over the poo issue!

The house martins are lovely apart from the nest directly above my back door and boy are they noisy! We had ours have two sets of babies last year and it is lovely to know that they are getting a fair shot, so many people knock the nests down and even though the one above the back door is a bit annoying and the fact that they seem to like to fly into me I wouldn't take them down, if they come back to nest it'll be lovely to think they have come all the way back here

My neighbours tried all sorts to keep them away last year hanging tin foil and stuff up all round the place