Donal Hickey: House 'shares' with jackdaws, bats and owls

We can still make space for nature even as we retro-fit to save energy and tackle climate change — nest boxes generally work very well

Nest boxes are helping barn owl survival. Picture: Paul Newton

An old lady of our acquaintance was once plagued by jackdaws nesting in her chimney. She decided the only solution was to smoke out the invaders.

But that ploy didn’t work. For, the chimney was blocked by twigs and other imported materials, which the turf smoke couldn’t penetrate, and her house was filled with smoke.