Our Chimney Sweeps

by Laura Fallis
(East Kingston, NH)

I live in an old house in East Kingston, NH. Over the years, starlings have made their home and hatched their young in a vent that leads to our upstairs bathroom. For four years now, I have had the privilege to watch and listen to this occur.

This year chimney sweeps have also nested in our living room fireplace. There is no damper, just a piece of tin covering the hole. One evening after dinner, two of these birds came into the living room.

We got them out of the house safely only to have them return to their nest. We have continued to listen to them rustling around and chirping just above the piece of tin.

This morning we found the nest to heavy to hold the tin in place. A partial fallen apart nest is in our fireplace. Two baby birds chattering away. What to do, what to do?

I quickly gathered a dish towel and picked them and the part of the nest they are in up. I checked the birds, they seem OK. We, my husband and I, managed to place the birds back in the chimney and secured the tin piece.

My initial thought was what and how do I feed these little birds. Knowing better, I need to trust that the parents will return as they did previously. I'll listen, enjoy, try not to peer to much above the tin piece and hope for their survival.

But what to do if the parents don't return? I'll be in for a new learning of proper care and placement of these tiny little birds so they can survive.

To then release them into the world they should live in and hope they will stay within the yard. Enjoy the birds in your yard and maybe home too.