A duck fell down my chimney and landed in the fireplace (1 Viewer)

[crazyfingers]

I'm afraid that this is just too strange to know where to put this.

This just happened. It's 9:30pm. About 15 minutes ago my wife called me from the basement. "I think that there is something in the fireplace".

I get my flashlight and thought to bring my camera.

I open the doors and look in. A DUCK. What the F..! A duck somehow fell down the chimney!

I got a photo and then tried to get her out. I assume a her. It slipped out and flew around the house for a bit and then tried to hide and I was able to grab it gently. My wife took a photo and then I let it out the front door. It seemed perfectly fine except for being very scared and all dusty.

It's among the strangest things ever to happen.

Why would this happen? It's pitch dark. We don't know how long it's been there. Would a duck that size have been trying to escape a hawk or something and fly down to escape? Do ducks ever land on chimneys and fall in? It's so strange!

 

[Reuven_M]

Wood ducks nest in trees, perhaps it was looking for a nest hole?

 

[crazyfingers]

I don't know. Do you think that's a wood duck? I haven't looked at my books yet. Don't know my ducks. I wish I knew when it fell in.

ETA:having looked at my books, nice call it's a wood duck I think.

 

[crazyfingers]

When I let it out the front door it scurried under my shrubs. I hope that she's OK. Poor thing must have been so scared.

 

[fugl]

Wood ducks nest in trees, perhaps it was looking for a nest hole?

That would be my view also, particularly given the time of the year & the fact that the duck was female. And some people have all the luck; nothing's ever fallen from my chimney but soot!

 

[captaincarot]

about 30 years ago, i heard a scrabbling noise coming from inside the closed up fireplace after about 15 minutes. i told my father about it.

about an hour later he'd managed to reopen the fireplace and out popped a starling with a large cloud of lovely black soot. we then relesed it into the back garden where it promptly began to have a bath. we went back into the front room to begin the clean up and 5 minutes later out popped a second starling complete with even more soot.

so i have heard of birds falling down chimneys but never a duck.

p.s. starlings make brilliant chimney sweeps

 

[Kits]

What an incredible experience - and well done on thinking to take your camera! I hope she is none the worse for her adventure.

 

[jurek]

Incredible experience!

I remember similar stories about hollow nesting birds. Somebody returning in spring to his summer cottage, found a dead Tawny Owl inside, which must have flown down the chimney. It was written in one quite popular wildlife book, together with a photo of the owl. In New Zealand, Kea parrots are said to sometimes enter houses this way - and do lots of damage trying to get out.

 

[etudiant]

Getting trapped in the chimney flue for tobacco curing ovens was a major cause of Bluebird mortality in the southern US.
The Audubon and Boy Scouts finally got an effective campaign to cap the opening with coarse wire mesh.
Still, open chimneys are a threat to more than birds. I found the skeleton of a squirrel in the chimney of a recently purchased house while doing a move in cleanup. So a chimney cap is good precaution.

 

[crazyfingers]

I'll be thinking what to do about my chimney top. I don't think a simple wire mesh is the right answer when in the winter we can get a good 2 feet of wet snow in a day that would just clog it right up. The chimney serves only the fireplace. House heat does not vent from the chimney.

The chimney top is also in excess of three stories above the ground, almost four, and I am not sure of myself that high up a ladder so I would have to pay someone.

 

[crazyfingers]

One thing I forgot to mention in the OP, in the second photo when I was holding the duck for a quick picture, it's heart was beating so fast and I could feel it so well in my fingers. What a wonderful little living creature.

When I checked outside this morning there was no sign of her. I feel confident she was OK except for the scare.

 

[jamerbean]

When I was younger my grandparents had a problem with chimney swifts nest in the chimneys (their calls echoing down the chimney can get really loud!) and installed a chimney cover with mesh that looked similar to this: http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=2NawTan3Bs7SgQeD2LThCw&ved=0CEgQ8wIwAg# Maybe something like that might be more suitable than just wire mesh? Although we were in the south so snow was not a huge concern, there may be others better for dealing with large amounts of snow.

 

[crazyfingers]

Something like that is probably getting close to the right answer. I'd want to be sure it could handle a good weight of snow and not hinder air flow before I get it melting with a fire. But I'm sure they make them.

It's not going to happen very soon though. I have so many other things to get done before that.

 

[lashinala]

Great story. I'm sure the duck was thinking "what the hell are all these people doing inside this weird hollow tree?" I'm curious how close to (significant) water you are. 1 of my hobbies from my lumbering days is to check large cut hollow trees for woodpecker and other animal signs...I've found Mardi Gras coins (Slidell), lots of bones (no wood duck), ribbons, corn husks, a tie, a box turtle, and a dog leash...no dog. I only get squirrels and flying squirrels in my chimney...no ducks though

 

[crazyfingers]

I'm curious how close to (significant) water you are.

I guess that the significant word is significant! I've done a little reading on wood ducks since this and they like quite small, wooded ponds as I understand it.

The closest wooded small pond that exists even in a drought is 350 feet from my house. I've seen ducks in there this spring. It's a slow part of a stream about 150 feet by 25 feet.

Beyond that there are 3 small ponds within a 1/2 mile.

There are at least 6 large ponds and lakes within 2 miles.

The far end of my property, 650 feet, in the woods is a stream and swamp. A large brook flows between several of the large ponds within .6 miles.

All of the above have so far existed even in a very dry summer.

 

[joannec]

The closest wooded small pond that exists even in a drought is 350 feet from my house. I've seen ducks in there this spring. It's a slow part of a stream about 150 feet by 25 feet.

.

Hopefully your lady is near the pond now and will find a more suitable nest site and I hope you will see her again with a brood of ducklings. |=)|

I have rescued an adult starling falling down my chimney, presumably while nest building and on another occasion a fledgling jackdaw who had fallen down.

 

[Twite]

You could encourage nesting on your ponds by putting up nestboxes. Have a look at this ebay clip, easy to make at very little cost.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9u01gA-mFA

Twite.

 

[MichavdB]

You could encourage nesting on your ponds by putting up nestboxes. Have a look at this ebay clip, easy to make at very little cost.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9u01gA-mFA

Twite.

The boxes work great and it would allow you to enjoy these awesome birds in your neighborhood more often.

Great story by the way.

 

[Fozzybear]

Now that's quite something! Have had a Starling fall down my chimney but a duck! Hopefully she's ok now and will have a tale to tell her ducklings.

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Wise old owl

Have never had a bird fall down one of my chimneys, thankfully, but recall seeing a tawny owl from my small city garden.

Was woken up after 1am by a twooing tawny owl. Got up, dressed and went out the front door. It was a cold night but the owl was sitting on a neighbours chimney.

Must have had a warm behind!