Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Dipster · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 2:59 pm Post subject: Why would this be happening?

We are all aware of mice, ants. birds and spiders moving into older cars. But my diesel Land Rover Defender diesel has raised an oddity that I have never heard of before.

Over the last few weeks a Sparrow (or Sparrows perhaps?) has begun to visit the tailpipe of the exhaust. The bird actually goes right inside the pipe for a few seconds and then backs out before flying away. Why? Surely they are not eating the carbon, are they?

Has anybody heard of such behaviour before or can an explanation be offered?

kevin2306 · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 3:13 pm Post subject:

could they be nesting in there perhaps?

Kev

Dipster · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 4:37 pm Post subject:

Rootes75 · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 9:25 pm Post subject:

That is odd, maybe they are just inquisitive?

Talking of birds, whilst clearing some stuff from the back of shed last Sunday we found a lovely little nest with eggs in it tucked away in a dashboard from an old Guy Big J lorry.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

ka · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 600 Location: Orkney.

We have a different problem with birds up here. There have been quite a few car fires started by Starlings nesting in the engine bay. The birds fly in overnight, or if the vehicle is idle for a day or two, build their nest in the engine bay, and instant inferno once warmed up. We even had a 'be-aware' notice in the local paper.
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KA

Better three than four.

Ellis · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:06 pm Post subject:

My Series 2a Land Rover had a permanent guest for some time.
One day driving home from Anglesey I felt the need for some chocolate and bought three Cadbury's Dairy Milk, the small thin ones which used to cost 10p.
I ate two in succession and put the third between my driver's seat and the middle passenger one.
Some weeks passed and I delved for the remaining bar only to find it was not there.

A few days later I noticed movement in the truck cab and a bird flapping and flying around. It turned out to be a Robin although how it had squeezed in through a small gap in the rear cab window, I don't know.

It had made a mess inside, of course, so I set about cleaning the interior only to find pieces of purple foil wrapping behind the driver's seat and droppings........

I had a mouse in my Land Rover! I found the nest in the cavity where the fuel filler pipe is complete with more purple foil. I cleaned the inside but found no mouse. If it's still inside the cab I have to admire it.

Do you remember the scene from "The Green Mile" with Tom Hanks when they could not find the resident mouse in the sports cupboard?
It was called "Mr Jingles" IIRC. I know how the Green Mile warders felt.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 7132 Location: Derby

It's not birds we have to worry about; we have bats! There are 9 of them so far and they are living in the corner of a lean to roof but they have a habit of moving around, finding new places to roost. I don't mind the bats, in fact it's quite a sight watching them leave the roof one after another of an evening. They fly so fast you have job keeping track!.

I just hope they don't try roosting in the garage. They are not rodents and don't nibble on wires etc.but I don't think I could cope with the mess. Shocked

Bats are strange animals. They breed in the autumn/winter and then hibernate. The females store the sperm and then get pregnant in the spring. Pregnancy lasts for between 4 and 6 weeks. They have just one baby a year and nurture their young in 'maternity roosts' that they often return to year after year.

Dipster · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 8:09 am Post subject:

One of the most impressive sights I have ever seen involved bats. I saw what must have been thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of bats flying out into the night sky in the evening on the coast of Queensland, Australia. The sky was literally full of them all flying in pretty much the same direction. It was quite amazing.

On my original exhaust pipe query I sent an email to the RSPB asking if they had any thoughts why it might be happening but I still await a reply.

Uncle Alec · Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 734 Location: Manchester

I was slightly less impressed with the Long-eared bat that had secreted itself in a pile of Riley spares, to emerge as I was driving them to my premises in north Manchester. It flew around inside my Transit for a good few minutes before exiting through my purposely-opened drivers door window and heading for the Co-op vinegar factory where hopefully it made its new home.