Birds in Cavity Wall

Ooooo!

Bird nests, in the house, outside the house and in any vegetation are protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Birds will be nest building now and many have been for a couple or more weeks. The nests cannot be touched between 1st January and 1st September.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69

 exspeacialy  cause it’s March it is around the time birds start looking for nesting material and  for places to nest 

 if you have Starlings around and there very noisy  they are most likely Starlings 

Starlings Do nest in holes and cavity’s  or anywhere that would be hard for a predator to get into. 

 Interestingly even though there common there still in decline in some places.

But I found some information about nesting and breeding so I thought you might find it interesting and helpful.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/starling/

What sounds can you hear? Being the full height of the wall makes me think potentially rodents, rather than birds, (unless it's tweeting you hear!)

PimperneBloke said:

What sounds can you hear? Being the full height of the wall makes me think potentially rodents, rather than birds, (unless it's tweeting you hear!)

A very valid point PB

Definitely birds, they’re chirping their little heads off! The entry point is bang in the middle of that outside wall so I think they’re probably in the middle of the two floors and so it’s loud from both floors.

I did manage to speak to RSPB since posting today and they’ve asked me to try and work out if they’re roosting or nesting. If roosting, I can block the entry point when they’re out but of course nesting they’ll need to be left. I heard them pretty solidly from about 6am - midday today but haven’t heard anything since. I just hope they’ll be ok in there if they need to stay put!

Thanks Mike, much appreciated!

Starlings can be very noisy when there nesting and can be so noisy it’s hard to even hear the tv but when they make noises it’s chattering and flutey like calls
Aswell as the banging and things like that
If it’s just lots of banging and creaking like something is running around and things like that it’s likely a rodent.
I hope this is helpful

ALH said:

Definitely birds, they’re chirping their little heads off! The entry point is bang in the middle of that outside wall so I think they’re probably in the middle of the two floors and so it’s loud from both floors.

I did manage to speak to RSPB since posting today and they’ve asked me to try and work out if they’re roosting or nesting. If roosting, I can block the entry point when they’re out but of course nesting they’ll need to be left. I heard them pretty solidly from about 6am - midday today but haven’t heard anything since. I just hope they’ll be ok in there if they need to stay put!

That's not going to be easy.

You could try and hire an endoscope, to peek into the cavity wall, or you could start lifting floorboards.

Some builders merchants hire out endoscopes.

Thanks so much, really useful!! I do think they’re starlings too. Haven’t heard a peep from about midday but so loud all morning! Quite sweet hearing them actually I read a few stories about chicks falling down in the wall so I just hope they’ll be ok in there if they’re indeed nesting, but I don’t suppose there’s anything we can do. Thanks for the info!

Ahhh thanks, that’s good to know. Might look into that so we know for sure. RSPB advice was to try and catch them coming/going with twigs etc, but if they’re roosting then they’ll probably only come a few times around dusk and if unsure then just leave them alone. I think the reality is that they’re probably well into nesting and we’re in for a noisy Summer!