From Reading Room to Nesting Room..... Bringing birds to book

Librarians on Level 4 have been plying their skills in a different way for the last month or so. A pair of red-wing starlings have persistently tried to build their nest in the Margaret Kenyon Reading Room. Keeping windows and doors permanently closed during the day has helped, but students open windows at night. So our clever ‘bird couple’ have used those opportunities and outwitted us and succeed in building a nest on one of the electricity duct ledges. Errol kindly organized the removal of that nest.

These determined birds started another nest immediately, and on Wednesday night, they must have had a great deal of time on their hands (beaks!!!) because they almost finished their new home with wet moss, mud and long strands of grass. Sadly for them, they made an enormous mess on the tables, carpet, and walls. So we had to find a way to outwit them. This is where Prof. Adrian Craig was brought into the situation.

We learned that these birds usually nest on cliffs and that is why they are choosing to nest in buildings rather than in trees. He set three apple-baited traps in the room after lunch yesterday. By 4pm one bird had been trapped and Linda managed to trap the other in the room. Prof. Craig, accompanied by Prof. Hulley, returned with nets and bags and caught the “free” bird. Neither bird was injured and they have been relocated to Fort Fordyce, where we hope they will be very happy! (We have grown attached to them – we can’t help admiring their persistence and intelligence!)

And then, we will just hold thumbs that a new pair doesn’t decide that this is the perfect place to bring up a family! Prof. Craig informs us that starlings carry on nesting well into March!