A couple were left horrified after discovering that their new Swindon home had been infiltrated by jackdaws.
You may be forgiven for thinking that this is a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous horror film ‘The Birds’ in 1963, but the Wiltshire pair’s problems are very real.
Meg Fisher and her boyfriend Alex Kilburn moved into the Covingham home back in July 2022 but their dream soon turned into a nightmare in recent months.
“They started destroying the soffit around two months ago and a few days ago my boyfriend went into the loft and discovered four eggs in two nests,” she said.
Following this startling discovery, the 27-year-old is starting to fear the worst for the upcoming weeks.
“They don’t keep us awake at night but I’m sure they will when the babies arrive and also the birds are waiting on the window every morning when we open the blinds,” said Meg.
The couple have since devised a plan for how to deal with their unwanted winged tenants.
“My mum’s husband is going to come and have a look and board off the loft just so they can get to the babies but not destroy the rest of the loft,” she said.
“Then we are going to wait for the family to leave.”
Meg works as a barber and already has a plan for how to repair the damage caused by the birds.
“I have a client who is going to fix the soffit for me as soon as the babies have left which will probably be start of summer,” she said.
“We haven’t had any other issues but our neighbour had the exact same issue as us with the birds despite their house not being connected to ours.”
The rules for dealing with jackdaws in the United Kingdom are strict, so the Adver contacted an expert to explain them.
Chris Venables of Venables Pest Control said: “If they are nesting you can’t deal with them as you have to let them finish nesting and laying eggs.
“You can go and remove the nest when there is nothing else occupying it and you can fix the area to stop them gaining entry for next year.
“They are defined as a pest but you have to let them fledge and to leave the nest.”
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