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For the past two years, birds have been building / attempting to build nests on top of the thermometer in the carport. The same thermometer had been there for 40 years unnoticed by the birds. So why now?
At any rate, last year, I left it alone. A pair of birds raised their brood and they thanked me by pooping all over the thermometer, the pavers below, and my truck. It's not as if there is no room for nestbuilding. I'm surrounded on three sides by farms and woods. In fact, over an eight-year period in the 1970s, I was a real Johnny Appleseed tree hugger and personally planted a thousand trees in my field.
Earlier this spring, a new pair attempted to build a nest. I got on the bed of my truck and with a broom, reached up and swept the nesting material away from the top of the thermometer. They were persistent and a couple dozen times I had to repeat the sweeping until they finally gave up.
And now in mid-June, another bird has started a nest. So my questions are .... do the chicks survive? Because of the length of time it takes for the parents to give up, I assume that there is not enough time to start a new secure nest. In other words, is disrupting the nestbuilding an automatic death sentence for the chicks?
.... do the chicks survive? Because of the length of time it takes for the parents to give up, I assume that there is not enough time to start a new secure nest. In other words, is disrupting the nestbuilding an automatic death sentence for the chicks?
the chicks don't usually arrive till after the nest has been built and eggs laid .
If possible I would move the thermostat. Be careful though because it will probably have old bird droppings on it and the surrounding area which can cause illnesses to you. If that is not possible maybe put cardboard or something similar over the area they are trying to build their nests that might persuade them to look somewhere else to build.
Make a small shelf directly above it that they can build their nest on. This might even discourage them from building there, but if they continue, at least it won't be directly on the thermostat.
I wish I could get any bird to nest where I can watch them. Sigh.
Is there some reason the birds building their nest in this particular location is a bother/inconvenience?
You man besides what the Op already described...pooping all over his pavers and such?
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