Me 1 : Bird 0

[mculshaw]

So I was taxiing a 172 from our hanger out to the flightline this morning and as I started to move, this incredible stench reached my nostrils!
I started looking around inside the plane to see what it could be. After I took the plane back to the hanger, I searched through the plane, assuming that it was a white airsick bag that someone had "forgot" to take out of the plane.
The smell seemed to get somewhat stronger towards the rear of the plane. uh oh This past week we had problems of starlings squeezing into the hinge between the elevator and horizontal stabilizer and into the stab. Nest building.
I chatted with the AME and after removing a few panels - BINGO - dead bird. After about 20 minutes of vacuuming out the dry nest material from the stabilizer and a thorough inspection of the rest of the nearby 'bird accessible' areas, we buttoned it back up and liberally sprayed some air freshener in the cabin.
It was quite the way to start the morning.

Anyone else have problems with birds building nests this spring?

mc

[Lurch]

I had just finished explaining the importance of fully checking the A/C for birds nest when we walked into the hanger to look inside SFTC's Tiger to find a nest in the horizontal stab. Also have heard of mice inside of a Navajo, real big mess to clean up.

[Apollo]

We put duct tape over that opening in the 172 to prevent the birds from finding new places to nest...

Now if only that worked on our apartment balcony.