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Got a pair of seagulls nesting on the roof...pretty sure they wouldn't have returned if the idiot neighbour didn't keep feeding them...anyway, one of the baby gulls has fallen out the best and ended up in the gutter and it has now died.
The gulls are rightly defensive and everyone who walks by gets dive-bombed - obviously trying to protect their nest and chicks.
So nest is on an old chimney stack and gutter is about 7 feet below it. I suspect getting that close will result in more than a dive-bombing effort, so how best to remove the dead bird before is decays and stinks?
Gutter is the original one from 1900 and half of it is covered by tile overlap...I can't flood the gutter as it won't move the bird (gutter needs another clean!)...
If it's outside, how bad will it be for a few days - other carrion birds may also try and remove it in the meantime?
Whilst unpleasant knowing it’s there, I wouldn’t expect this is gonna smell particularly in the next few days or weeks. As above, you’ll probably find nature getting to work on this pretty sharping.
We had an adult seagull die in our back garden a few weeks back. A day or so later, the local cats / gulls / magpie/ fox community had not touched it at all!
I did manage to have words with next door who feed the bloody pigeons - attracting various types of airborne vermin. Told him that I'd seen a big rat in his garden. He has modified his behaviour a bit, so that might be a useful approach.
(In the end I rubber gloved / double bagged the gull into the domestic bin)
If the guttering just flows straight into the drain, I wouldn't worry too much, let nature take it's course and if it doesnt get eaten by other wildlife, go up and clean out the debris after nesting season.
Suspect it'll be after nesting session then. Might throw it into old nest to try and stop them returning next year!
No chance of any wildlife or birds getting it, it is half hidden by the tiles and the parents are seriously quick at fending off anything - even the local cats are giving the place a wide berth!
Bag of chips as a distraction, full face helmet on and go for it. Remember to video it 😉
Just destroy the nest when they're gone then keep an eye out for them building another next year.
A pressure washer could be a solution to both problems.
Throw chips onto your neighbours roof / conservatory each evening for a few weeks*. Won't solve the dead bird problem but might change the neighbours views on encouraging birds.
*Friend did this to a mates caravan when I was much younger and irresponsible. They didn't sleep for the whole week