Nesting jackdaws have picked to pieces the roof of a 17th-century barn, which was recently re-thatched at a cost of £100,000. The new straw at the Great Barn at Avebury, Wiltshire, proved irresistible to hundreds of jackdaws that nest in nearby trees.
Experts have tried special coatings on the thatch, dummy birds of prey and a double layer of netting to deter the birds, a protected species, but each time the birds have found ways around the defences. Jackdaws are intelligent birds — and fast learners.
Ed Coney, who laid the thatch, described the damage as “soul destroying.” He said: “We did the job and were very proud of it. Now it's been pulled to pieces.”
Karl Papierz, a surveyor with the National Trust, which owns the grade 1 listed building, said: “We’ve tried umpteen solutions to the problem but eventually they’ve all failed. I’m beginning to tear my hair out.”