Had a bit of excitement yesterday morning when a swift flew right into the living room, in spite of the plastic mesh protection and the blinds being half-way down. I mean, what are the odds? As you can see in the middle photo (click to enlarge) there is only about a two-inch wide space between the blind and the wall. But in it flew and found itself immediately cornered by the cats…
They were in the corner behind the tv table and I had to move the table to get at them. Just as I was pulling Loki away, and with Azar still pacing closer and closer, the swift made a break for freedom. It did an awkward jump/fly/run thing over to the balcony, climbed up the green mesh and then squeezed through that little opening underneath the flower pot (middle photo again). I was amazed because I’ve never seen a swift move after “hitting the ground” and have been told that they can only fly by starting off from a height. I’ve actually rescued a couple of them in the street by tossing them up in the air so they can get some current under their wings again. Very impressive that this one figured out how to escape so quickly, just as I was raising the blind to give it more space.
After both cats checked out the corner where the bird had been trapped for a minute or so, Azar went back to his pre-swift-encounter position in his sunbeam on the balcony. But Loki kept looking for it for about half an hour and was clearly confused about where the new kitten toy had gone. You can see him in the third photo gazing up at the only possible escape route.
I’m just glad I was home! Since the hot weather I’ve been leaving the balcony doors open when I go out so the boys can hang out and get some fresh air. I mean, check it out. With the extra angled piece of plastic mesh and the blind lying on top of it I reckoned Loki wouldn’t be able to leap to his death. It never occurred to me that something might get in – though after “the year of the bats” I should’ve been prepared for anything. Imagine coming home to a bloody feathery mess and then having to de-worm the boys, on top of everything else.
But, definitely a one-off, right?
Couldn’t possibly happen again, could it?
casa azahar 
I’m glad no blood was shed.
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Me too!
Things were much crazier the summer I had a bat nest above one of the balcony doors – this was a few years ago when I had three cats. The baby bats were always missing the entrance to the nest and flying into my living room. The cats would go berserk and I would have to shoo the wee things out again. Once one flew straight into a wall and slid down to the floor. The cats were on it like a shot but I got there in time to save it. Sooooo tiny with its wings folded – about the size of my first thumb joint. And teensy little ears. Talk about cute overload. I actually missed them after they were gone, but I sealed up the empty nest to prevent a future family moving in because they really made a mess of the balcony.
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Batshit?
Did I ever tell you the story of my sisters’ screams when I was 13- a field mouse was in the towel cupboard! Those screams brought my father, who pulled out the trusty 22 rifle (we lived on a farm) and with a single bullet promptly shot the mouse, several towels, glasses in the kitchen cupboard in the next room and the door of that same cupboard. The bullet ended up embedded in still another cupboard door.
I like your way better. 🙂
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Ufff, batshit everywhere. It was awful. My landlord had wanted me to seal up the nest – with the bats inside!!! – but I had the law on my side as bats are a protected species in Spain.
Oh, that poor mouse. Talk about overkill.
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Poor mouse!
Luckily, your bats also had you on their side, despite the bat shit.
I was really upset today when we arrived home after breakfast to find the mother of a neighbour (the mother doesn’t even LIVE in the Co-op) walking out front with the Red Squirrel nest I had just discovered in the utility cupboard (covering cable wires) attached to the side of my house (MY HOUSE NOT THE NEIGHBOUR’S). Luckily there were no babies in the nest (or unluckily because I would have called the Humane Society because it is illegal to disturb the nests during nesting season). This is a lovely little Red Squirrel, of which there are very few in our area. I was really upset.
This woman takes it upon herself to do all sorts of things around the place which have nothing whatever to do with her because she doesn’t bloody well live here.
I have half a mind to mention it at the board meeting tomorrow (as I am now on the board, again).
The poor squirrel wasn’t bothering anyone at all.
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If one got in here, it would be chaos with 5 lions and 2 dogs.. Yikes.
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Yikes indeed.
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I’m so glad things turned out okay for all concerned.
Amazing how sometimes the unexplained can happen!
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I still can’t figure out how it managed to get in considering the small open space and the speed those things fly at.
A bit concerned that Loki is showing an new and intense interest in the swifts now. There are always tons of them swooping past the house in the mornings and he now sits on the balcony mesmerised. I know he couldn’t fit through the small opening the swift squeezed through, but I’m not sure about my angled mesh stopping him from “going over the top” if, say, a pigeon landed on the railing (as they sometimes do). Think I’ll have to start closing the doors again when I go out.
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You might try running some clear fishing line at an angle from the top of the doorway to the top of the rail. That should discourage flying critters from getting in and probably keeping leaping cats a bit more contained. AND it would be invisible to your neighbours, more or less.
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