wren in the flue

[My Oslo heats my home]

This afternoon I walked past the Jotul 602 in the rear of the house. When I looked down I saw a small ring of soot at the base of the stove collar (I use the top flu exit vs the rear). Having no idea what was going on to put the soot there I stood and wondered for a minute. Then, I heard a faint scratch in the flu near the bottom collar, I knew then there was a bird in there. I grabbed a small towel and opened up the top heat plate on the stove and out came this wren of some sort, had no idea what kind because he was all black with soot except for his eyes. He flew towards the window and clenched onto the window lock. I got him with the towel and brought him outdoors, he flew off.
Anyone else with birds coming down the flu? Looks like I need to put a cage on my top...

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

I'm glad the bird was OK and you were able to save it! I have heard of that before. That's another good reason why you need a spark arrestor screen in your chimney cap. Here in California, 1/2" mesh is required. You can go down to the hardware store and buy screen material then just cut it to fit, assuming you know how to get the very top part of the cap off.

 

[cmonSTART]

It happens. I've had calls to remove/evict them. Just be sure it's not a Chimney Swift.

 

[Jaugust124]

Twice in the past year, both dead when I found them.

 

[firefighterjake]

So it's official bird flu(e) is now in Massachusetts.

 

[mhambi]

I had a bat make into my Z42 last summer. I don't know how he got past the spark arrestor screen. Was able to get him out safely.

Here at work we had a bird make it into our drop ceiling space... and then somehow fell down into one of our interior walls. I had to cut through the sheetrock in 2 places to extract him.

Here's a good idea that should work for bird/flue removals...
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=283_1309667616

:lol:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

So, it flew in the flue.

 

[Battenkiller]

So, I take it this was a case of Avian Flu?

EDIT:

Ack! Too late, I see FFJ beat me to it. :sick:

 

[SnapCracklePop]

Then there's...

A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what should they do?
Said the flea, "Let us fly."
Said the fly, "Let us flee."
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Sorry, couldn't hep it.

Nancy

 

[jjs777_fzr]

Okay a little over a week ago I was swapping stoves - when I removed the Tee I found a live sparrow just sitting there - must have thought I was the bird rescue team - he just sat there with a little soot over him and then he flew off when I got outside. I was happy to save him.
Just a few moments ago I went to reload the stove and had to relight it too - as I'm relighting it I notice a clump on the left - sure enough another bird - this one not so lucky.
Why oh why does Selkirk not have the spark arrestor surrounding their caps ? I don't get it...and beside being unpleasant the thought of burning birds in the flue I really don't want to kill them in the first place.
Heaven forbid if my wife ever goes to load the stove and anything either dead or alive is there to greet her.
I'm disappointed with Selkirk - this is plain ignoranance - isnt it ?

-John

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Okay a little over a week ago I was swapping stoves - when I removed the Tee I found a live sparrow just sitting there - must have thought I was the bird rescue team - he just sat there with a little soot over him and then he flew off when I got outside. I was happy to save him.
Just a few moments ago I went to reload the stove and had to relight it too - as I'm relighting it I notice a clump on the left - sure enough another bird - this one not so lucky.
Why oh why does Selkirk not have the spark arrestor surrounding their caps ? I don't get it...and beside being unpleasant the thought of burning birds in the flue I really don't want to kill them in the first place.
Heaven forbid if my wife ever goes to load the stove and anything either dead or alive is there to greet her.
I'm disappointed with Selkirk - this is plain ignoranance - isnt it ?

-John

Maybe the next time you revisit the cap you can put some stainless mesh around the slots? The birds will like you better for it

 

[tcassavaugh]

So it's official bird flu(e) is now in Massachusetts.

now thats funny......

cass

 

[snowleopard]

Heard the story from someone who said one summer he'd heard some scritching over a few days, thought he had mice in the trailer he lived in. Finally narrowed it down to the stove, opened the door, and an owl hopped out. Stood on the hearth and blinked, looked around, and the resident human opened the door of the trailer, and then that of the arctic entry. The owl hopped to the door, dog looked up and barked, and the owl flew away. Owner said he had no idea how the owl made it past all the baffles and such in the stove, but he did. Good thing for all involved--can't imagine that the smell of burning feathers and roasted owl would have been that pleasant a surprise come fall.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Had a starling get down the flue this past spring...

 

[wkpoor]

I've posted on this before but seems appropriate to tell it again here. I for some odd reason get many birds a year down my chimney. Some years as many as 25-30. Usually takes about 2 days for them to reach the bag I keep on the bottom of the pipe. I like my birds and welcome them each year. They clean my chimney to a polished look and no birds are harmed in the process. When they reach the bag I let them go. Simple, clean, and very efficient.

 

[jimbom]

Had a starling get down the flue this past spring...

Bet he was black as coal when you got him out.

 

[qualityleashdog]

I used to live in an old farmhouse built in the 1840s. The roof was tin, and so steep and high (2 floors) I'm sure you couldn't get anyone but a steeplejack to get on it. One chimney was open on top, but there were no opening to access it in the house. At least one bird a week could be heard scratching away somewhere within. No way to free them. I assume they wound up dying, and eventually mummifying. Perhaps enough birds have died by now that the current generation has a way to climb out. Drove one of my beagles nuts, trying to get to them, the other didn't care so much. I really don't miss that house.

 

[wkpoor]

Every year I welcome my chimney birds. I remove the stove pipe and put a clear bag on it. Several times a week a bird or 2 will scratch its way to the bag all the while giving my chimney the best sweep it cold possible have. I wouldn't dare put a screen up there to keep them out. You couldn't polish the pipe as good as they do. Its a free cleaning. Only time a bird was harmed was when we went away for a long weekend and weren't there to let them out. Over the years I've probably let out a 100 birds from the bag. They come back every year.

 

[Ashful]

Had a squirrel get into our Jotul Firelight 12 cat stove this winter. He got himself caught back in the catalyst chamber, so I had to take apart most of the stove to get him free. Not wanting to chance having a soot-covered rodent get loose in the house by trying to nab him directly, I settled for feeding a rope down the chimney into the firebox. I covered the stove with a blanket, and the following day when the only light he could see was that coming down the chimney, he found his way up the rope and out.

In his short stay, he shredded the catalyst chamber, which is made of delicate refractory material. The replacement parts cost $400, and six weeks to receive from Jotul's factory, making us miss a good part of this year's heating season. Thankfully, it was a rather mild winter.

The previous owners had nothing atop the chimney but one of those hi-hat style top-mounted dampers, although they had never had a problem with squirrels before. I removed that damper and replaced with a squirrel cage after the incident.

 

[jeromehdmc]

No birds but I have had a very large very mad bumblebee.
Got him in a pickle jar and when I went to put the lid on it I sort of missed, he almost got out but I got the lid on just in time.
I'm sure glad I didn't have to explain a mad bumblebee flying around the house.

 

[Hogwildz]

Shakes head yet again. Shame a bird has to go through any of that to start with. Maybe a few humans down a soot coated stack left to sit in it for a day or so might changed some's minds.

 

[Wood Duck]

I have an open-topped clay tile flue and I never get birds stuck in the flue or in the stove. Maybe the problem with some chimneys is the chimney cap that makes it hard for the birds to get out once they find a way in.

 

[wkpoor]

Shakes head yet again. Shame a bird has to go through any of that to start with. Maybe a few humans down a soot coated stack left to sit in it for a day or so might changed some's minds.

Well here again you don't know my story. I'm not taking a chance on a screen getting plugged up on a 35' chimney that I can't get up to in the winter. And the timing of the birds against using the stove in the shoulder season is such it is what it is. So I elect to do the next best thing and let them out. If I had the typical chimney 1/2 that height eccessible from the roof then I might do something different.

 

[TradEddie]

Growing up, many people on my street had at least one unused flue that birds would nest in. Shooting them off the chimneys with a .22 was a community service, welcomed by all our neighbors. We'd done this for years without incident then one day I shot a jackdaw off the neighbors chimney and it dropped straight down the flue. My dad grabbed the rifle and disappeared so fast, I was just left standing there wondering what to do. We never did own up to that one.

TE

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Well here again you don't know my story. I'm not taking a chance on a screen getting plugged up on a 35' chimney that I can't get up to in the winter. And the timing of the birds against using the stove in the shoulder season is such it is what it is. So I elect to do the next best thing and let them out. If I had the typical chimney 1/2 that height eccessible from the roof then I might do something different.

I follow your lead on this one, my flu is 27' and I have 12 pitch roof. Although I do have a screen on this stove my backup does not, this is the one the birds have fun with in the spring. As of today no stove visitors.

To go back to the issues with the long flu run. I was up there a couple days ago changing out a vent pipe for the plumbing and while I was up there I took a look at the cap and screen. There was quite a bit more deposit this year than in years past, mainly because of the warm winter I'm guessing. I gave it a quick bang and a lot of it fell off. My question is, the fellow that cleans my flu has a set up that cleans bottom up instead of traditional top down. I can't imagine when the brush makes it to the top that it will clean the screen and cap as well. I don't think so. Is he responsible for the cap and screen too? I pay less money for the bottom up service but wonder if I should request top down cleaning instead?