Hello can anyone give me advice on what to do about a nest in a pipe please? It’s a thick cast iron down pipe that is unused and the nest seems to be 2-3 feet down it. Four little chicks look quite well grown and feathered and are being fed by the parents. I’m concerned that while the parents can somehow manage to get up and down the inside of this pipe, the little ones won’t be able to scale it.
should I try to move them? Or maybe put a twig in the pipe to help them climb out?
Hi there Jhlm, as the chicks are still being fed by the parents and this is an active nest you must do nothing for the time being; when the time comes for them to fledge the parents will tempt them out with food and until then you won't know if they can manage to scramble out themselves so I suggest you just monitor from a distance without getting close to the nest so the parents continue to feed the chicks. It's a watch and wait for now as it's illegal to do anything you suggest at the moment with an active nest. It looks a pretty wide drainage pipe with rough edges the chicks could maybe cling to. Fingers crossed they will manage to get out themselves. If there are any problems eventually when it comes time to fledging, nip back on here for further advice and someone will try assist you but for now keep distance from the nest to allow the parent birds to continue to feed their chicks. Good luck.
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Regards, Hazel
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