Shock for bird stalking Theo
Wildlife lovers across Shropshire have been going to extraordinary lengths to protect nesting birds and their babies from predators.
When cat owners see their pets stalking a nest in their garden they come up with ingenious ways to intervene - but not always with success.
Linda and Pete Woolley from Frankton near Ellesmere were delighted when blue-tits built a nest in the old mill wheel in their garden of their smallholding, then horrified when their year-old cat, Theo, started taking an interest.
Mr Woolley put an electric fence up around the stone on Monday, thinking it would deter Theo. But within 24 hours the cat had found a way inside the wires.
Mrs Woolley said: "We have no idea how he got through but he got a shock on his way out and hid under our bed for a while. We hope it has put him off."
Carole Main, who lives near Ellesmere, also had problems with her cat climbing a tree in which birds are nesting.
She resorted to tying brightly coloured tape and plastic around the tree trunk.
"I frighted the cat first with the plastic and it seems to have worked so far. My cat obviously has a smaller brain than Theo."
Have you got birds nesting in unusual places, or have you dreamt up an anti-cat device. Let us know.
