Wildlife in our Chimney
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in Erskine when my wife heard a scratching sound coming from the wood heater flue. Occasionally the scratching would stop for a moment only to resume with what appeared to be increasing urgency.
We concluded that there was an animal stuck inside the chimney. Inspecting the chimney from the outside, it was apparent that it would be hard to get into the chimney but once in it would be even harder to get out.
Obviously, leaving whatever it was to die in the chimney was not an option, but what to do?
Then I had an idea: call my mate, Kim. He oozes practicality and is always ready to help and true enough, when I called, he said he would be over in a jiffy.
Once Kim arrived, he conducted an assessment, and agreed that whatever it was, it was within the chimney stack. We thought it could be a possum, a rat or a bird.
Kim then set about removing the baffle plate from the wood heater - I was not even aware there was such a thing as baffle plate. He then attempted to point his mobile phone up the chimney and take a photo. The results were inconclusive though he did think he could detect two ears sticking up, which pointed to a possum.
The next thing was how to get whatever was up there down. Also, how would it be contained once it came down. Possums have teeth and claws and the thought of a rat running around the living room was not something we cared to contemplate.
We found a net in the shed and I was put on netting duties whilst Kim tried different methods to coax the unwanted visitor down.
Suddenly, there was a flutter and in a cloud of ash and green and yellow feathers a 28-parrot darted out of the fireplace and fluttered around the room crashing into a closed window.
The man on netting duties (me) was like a stunned mullet but Kim grabbed the net and caught the frightened bird which let out a squawk. He then went to the door and released it and it flew up to the nearest tree, apparently none the worse for wear.
The moral of the story?
Firstly, the bloke on net duties needs more training. Secondly and most importantly, spring is here and wildlife is looking for nesting opportunities so it’s important, for the sake of both parties, to secure the premises. Mandurah Wildlife can provide some alternative habitats, so if you have a problem, it’s worth a call.
Oh, and it pays to have a mate who practical and ready to help. A big thanks, Kim!
