Blue Birds in the stove

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xman23

xman23

Minister of Fire
Oct 7, 2008
2,638
Lackawaxen PA
I knew something was wrong when I took a look at the stove tonight. White streakes all over the glass. I opened the door to find 6 Blue Birds. Sadly non were moving. As i was taking them out, one moved. I took him out to the deck and in few minutes he was gone. They could have been in there 4 days. This is the second time in 12 years we have had birds in the stove. Last time it was a blue bird as well. We have feaders out back, so we have a lot of birds. Rarely see the blue birds but this is the only one that wants to go in the chimney. Yes I did remove the cap screen years ago. Just couldn't keep it clean. I'm going to find some larger hole screen to try to stop the birds.

Tom
 
When we lived downstate (no woodstove), we got a couple birds that fell down the flue for the furnace. I guess the fumes got to 'em. They found their way into the house. THAT was interesting.
Put a screen up,...end of problem.
 
My inspector pointed them out to me. Two years in a row I had one in the stove and I swear it was the same one. Don't know how he squeezed thought the chimney cap. Sorry to hear yours didn't make it. Had the front door open, back sliding door open and upstairs window with no screen open, still took this bugger 10 minutes flying around to find its way out.

birdinstove.jpg
 
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My stove has been cold twice this spring, and both times I had a bird in the stove. And yes, it looked like the same bird..... I'm leaving the bypass open for now, so one doesn't decide to tear up the back side of the cat. I'll plug the chimney off when I know we're done until fall.
 
xman23 said:
I knew something was wrong when I took a look at the stove tonight. White streakes all over the glass. I opened the door to find 6 Blue Birds. Sadly non were moving. As i was taking them out, one moved. I took him out to the deck and in few minutes he was gone. They could have been in there 4 days. This is the second time in 12 years we have had birds in the stove. Last time it was a blue bird as well. We have feaders out back, so we have a lot of birds. Rarely see the blue birds but this is the only one that wants to go in the chimney. Yes I did remove the cap screen years ago. Just couldn't keep it clean. I'm going to find some larger hole screen to try to stop the birds.

Tom
Click to expand...


Try a 1/2" mesh screen. Your hardware store may have some. 6 bluebirds is a terrible loss. It sounds like a whole family and relatives.
 
I have ~1/2" mesh screen in both my chimney caps...for two reasons. First, it's required as a spark arrestor where I live (high desert) because of the danger of wildfire from an errant ember, and second to avoid just what you've experienced...critters. I've never had a problem with the screens clogging up. I burn well seasoned wood, almost exclusively softwoods...Pine, Larch, Juniper. Rick
 
That pic of the inspector is priceless n3pro.
 
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In with the blue, out with the black.

Sad for the loss of the birds but things sometimes just happen. Yet in all the years we've burned wood we've never had a bird get inside.
 
i think we've all had to deal with a bird or two in the house before, i can remember my episode was a 20 min. ordeal upon arriving home from work to find a bunch of screaming, broomstick wielding, hysterical woman with birds flying beak first into my all my closed windows including my $2000 anderson bay !! I said NOOOOOO stop, NOOOOO, Noooooooooooooo "whooosh, crack, smash, crash"... and after ducking a few swips of broomsticks managed to first get the woman out of the house before all was lost.... then after we all calmed down (me and the birds) i slowly closed off all the rooms, opened the doors and windows in the rooms they were in and we all lived happy ever after
 
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Not all Doug. Read the post directly before your post.
 
Today I had a humming bird come in the sliding back door. I chased him around the house with the grand kids fishing nets. I had him in the net twice before getting him outside. We have bird feaders a eye level just off the back deck. We live on the back deck with the birds feading 10 ft away. Non stop birds all year.
 
They get in our greenhouse occasionally. Sometimes they figure how to get out. But have had to catch them too. I do it by hand once they are tired out. They become quite passive and seem very grateful for the help.
 
I thought 3/4" mesh was more standard than 1/2" mesh. I've seen code in fire-prone areas call for 5/8" mesh, as a better spark arrester than 3/4". In any case, 3/4" stainless mesh can be had by the foot from most stove sellers around here.
 
doug crane said:
i think we've all had to deal with a bird or two in the house before, i can remember my episode was a 20 min. ordeal upon arriving home from work to find a bunch of screaming, broomstick wielding, hysterical woman with birds flying beak first into my all my closed windows including my $2000 anderson bay !! I said NOOOOOO stop, NOOOOO, Noooooooooooooo "whooosh, crack, smash, crash"... and after ducking a few swips of broomsticks managed to first get the woman out of the house before all was lost.... then after we all calmed down (me and the birds) i slowly closed off all the rooms, opened the doors and windows in the rooms they were in and we all lived happy ever after
Click to expand...

Nope . . . going on 4 or 5 years now and still no birds inside the house . . . much less have any of them coming down the chimney.
 
Are they blurbirds or blue buntings? I've freed 4 blue buntings this spring, which is about par since I'm a little slow at putting my hardware cloth up on the cap. However I've never had an actual bluebird down the flue. Blue buntings are VERY plentiful and serve no real purpose unlike actual bluebirds.
 
I started a thread a couple years ago with having wrens in the flue. Same type of situation, no mesh on the cap and down they came. It's tough when the cap is fairly tight yet the birds squeeze their way in. Since the flue for this stove is on a flat roof I really don't mind covering the cap with a small cover for the summer.
 
Stephen in SoKY said:
Are they blurbirds or blue buntings? I've freed 4 blue buntings this spring, which is about par since I'm a little slow at putting my hardware cloth up on the cap. However I've never had an actual bluebird down the flue. Blue buntings are VERY plentiful and serve no real purpose unlike actual bluebirds.
Click to expand...
Mine were blue birds. We have, or I should say had blue bird boxes, the bears ripped them open. The blue birds love these small places to nest.
 
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