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Well now I ve got a dilemma

(269 Posts)
BlueBelle Tue 30-Jun-20 22:37:22

My Victorian house has a fireplace in my bedroom one of those rather lovely old bedroom black lead fireplaces with a trapdoor
Well I m lying in bed hearing a lot of scuffling behind the trapdoor and realise a bird has fallen down the chimney so I pulled the curtains right back and opened the window then opened the trapdoor and there is a largish bird I can’t see its head just it’s legs and a bit of the body but the darned thing is sitting there not coming out I think it may be a rather large young seagull and I m a bit loathe to stick my arm in to get it out but I also can’t sleep with it sitting there
Watch this space

phoenix Sat 01-Aug-20 19:13:45

We hand reared a jackdaw once.

Callistemon Sat 01-Aug-20 20:19:20

He may like ice cream cornets too.
And crab sandwiches

Be prepared

Callistemon Sun 02-Aug-20 20:26:06

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SueDonim Sun 02-Aug-20 21:03:46

Oh, Stephen Sebastian is back??? How wonderful! ❤️❤️❤️

Though I’m wondering about his brain cells, if he’s now fallen down your chimney twice! And exactly where has he been in the past couple of weeks and how how on Earth did he gets back onto the chimney again?

One mystery solved, another pops up! grin

BlueBelle Sun 02-Aug-20 22:29:37

Well here’s my take suedonin when he disappeared a lot of people told me because there was no sign of a cat fight no disturbance in the garden and no stray feathers or blood his mother had probably been down and got him I didn’t know it was possible but I was told by an old country boy he had seen mothers pick they babies up and fly with them so that was the only solution i could come up with
I can see there is only one family on my chimney pot so it’s either Stephen or a sibling but as Stephen already knows his way down (???) I m guessing it’s him
He’s either very adventurous or is dipsy
I don’t suppose I ll ever know I wish you could see him when he tries to fly he jumps up and down on the spot flapping his wings but getting nowhere
I m having trouble feeding him as he’s on my flat roof which joins the neighbours so he’s wandering around quite an area crying for food but I m not near enough to get it to him I m putting it down but other birds are coming in So I don’t know how much he’s able to get .....he was safer when he was in my garden last time

Callistemon Sun 02-Aug-20 22:35:13

Bluebelle I'm sure it was the same stupid starling which kept coming down our chimney and flying round the sitting room.

I am rather worried about Bertie; he managed to flutter across the lawn and went into some shrubbery.

SueDonim Sun 02-Aug-20 22:53:36

Let’s hope he finds his wings soon, then, Bluebell. He needs to be like Dumbo - I believe I can fly!

I’ve just told my dds that Stephen is back. One of them says that she’s just had a bat come into her house and she’s swearing blind it’s the same bat that came in last week! ? grin

BlueBelle Mon 03-Aug-20 06:49:07

Haha suedonin that’s so funny ?
I m having real problems because every time I try and feed Stephen the big birds come and peck and bully him and eat the food I can’t find a way to help him any more which is really upsetting to see I know it’s survival of the fittest but at this rate he’s going to survive the chimney ride and die either of hunger or getting harmed by his own tribe
I can’t think of a way out of this one if only he could fly but with no food he ll only get weaker ?

MellowYellow Mon 03-Aug-20 07:03:48

Funnily enough, I was just thinking about Stephen the other day and wondering where he had got to!!! What an adventure he's had. Gulls hatch a few feet away from me here and some years you get one who ends up in my flat or panicking outside the door. This year the fledglings have been behaving! Have a good chip-nicking life Stephen!

SueDonim Mon 03-Aug-20 11:25:01

Is his mum still around, Bluebell?

I’m trying to think what might help.

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 08:08:25

No she visited the first day but I haven’t seen her since sue
I am having a problem as when I got him out the chimney he was so big I just plonked him on my window sil as he was a bit hard to handle before you could say Jack Robinson he had flopped off my window sil onto the flat roof underneath completely out of my reach from there he has access to three other flat roofs (Neighbours)
When his mum came down I thought all was well but soon realised he was abandoned, so put some food out next day, big mistake just as he found it some adult seagulls swooped down started pecking him and literally chucking him out the way to eat the food I understand it’s survival of the fittest but this is my Stephen ??
Anyway I have found an over hanging tree in one corner of the roof and been placing the food under a very low leaf which hangs to nearly touch the flat roof and the foods been going every time so although I haven’t seen him eat it I m hopeful the big birds wouldn’t see it under the leaf and he is still alive after 4 days so I feel he must be eating it surely he d be weak or dead after 4 days without any food and there’s certainly nothing else to eat on the shed roof only what I put out I put a bowl of water out too but that’s upside down on another part of the roof ?
Oh dear I wish he’d fly

SueDonim Wed 05-Aug-20 13:24:14

Come ON Stephen Sebastian, flap those wingslums of yours and get airborne!

You’re doing all you can, by the sounds of it, Bluebell. ❤️

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 14:44:44

Well I m actually happy today I ve just got home from work did my usual cluck cluck sound and he came running I put the sardines down in the ‘under leaf place ‘ and quietly stood back and yes he ate it whoopppee I don’t know what he does with the dishes though as they are never there when I go back nor the water dish I can only think he chucks when he’s finished which would be the next doors yard but to be honest they d never know as it’s like Steptoes

Callistemon Wed 05-Aug-20 15:03:02

Well done Bluebelle

He could get used to this, though. Sardines must be preferable to looking for leftover chips in the street!

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 15:24:43

Once I know for sure he can fly I will stop don’t worry I m reckoning another week or two maximum

Callistemon Wed 05-Aug-20 16:05:43

What's the betting he'll come home from time to time to visit his adoptive Mum!

seacliff Wed 05-Aug-20 17:05:48

Oh I am glad he is still surviving, his Mum has obviously given up on him, thank goodness for you Bluebelle.

I saw this video about another Stephen Seagull in Exmouth, a bit of a tea leaf. Aren't they all. grin

www.facebook.com/watch/?v=292603888847625

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 17:31:50

Love the video seacliff thanks for posting

Hetty58 Wed 05-Aug-20 17:41:28

BlueBelle, the advice is to put out water but not feed them outside - as it puts them in danger:

wildlifeambulance.org/advice/gulls/

BlueBelle Wed 05-Aug-20 18:46:57

I do put out water hetty but it will die if I don’t feed it there is nothing for it to eat on a plastic corrugated roof and it can’t fly so I m not going to watch him slowly starve to death
As I explained in my post above I ve found a secluded part where a big leaf hangs over and that seems successful to Him being left alone when he feeds

BlueBelle Sat 08-Aug-20 13:33:46

Don’t know if anyone’s still interested but a week on stephen (or his sibling) is still with me after his second visit a week ago
Here’s a picture of him having his breakfast under the overhanging branch from my pear tree

SueDonim Sat 08-Aug-20 13:58:53

He’s getting to be a BIG boy now, Bluebelle! ❤️ I’m still so ‘invested’ in Stephen and I hope he’s got a good chance now. He needs to get those wings working, though, lazy lad. grin

seacliff Sat 08-Aug-20 14:19:42

Oh what a great update thankyou Bluebelle. Stephen is looking pretty grown up now. Does his Mum ever come back, or has she left him in your care?

Callistemon Sat 08-Aug-20 14:29:54

Get flapping, Stephen!

He could get very used to this, Bluebelle. room service every day.

Callistemon Sat 08-Aug-20 14:31:00

It would be lovely if, when he does get going, he pops in from time to time to say hello.
As long as it's not down the chimney of course.