Villagers complain of 'pitter patter of poo'

People in a Lincolnshire village say they are getting fed up of being splattered with bird droppings.

Tens of thousands of starlings have been forming murmurations at sunset over Great Gonerby, near Grantham, for weeks.

The sight of the birds swirling overhead has wowed onlookers, but the aftermath has been described as a "nightmare".

One villager said: "Everyone found it fascinating to start with but now they’re fed up with it."

Katie Emmett, who lives with partner Drew Hammond and their two children, said the birds were becoming a "big pain".

"Even just going out the front door you end up with poo on your hands because it’s all over the handles," she said.

Listen to residents talking about the bird problem

It a particular problem for their daughter who is blind.

Mr Hammond said: "We’ve had some bannisters installed for her to get up and down the steps in front of the bungalow.

"She can’t really touch it at the moment because every time we’re touching it we’re getting bird poo on her hands. It’s not enabled her to be free moving."

He added the murmurations are a "beautiful sight" but added "the aftermath is terrible."

"We hope it will disappear soon," he said.

Another resident, Andrew Comtois, said: "It’s been a nightmare. I’ve had to get my bucket out five times.

"It [the droppings] has even dropped on people’s heads."

Jonathan Brown has resorted to covering his car every evening to protect it from the birds.

"It’s a pain but it’s whether you want to see out of your windows in the morning," he said.

"They’re [the birds ] a thick black cloud, and you can hear them and you can hear the showers of poo coming down."

While a frustration for some, the sight of the murmurations often draws a crowd.

However, Keiron Johnson said few of those who gather to watch and take photographs expect the "pitter patter of poo".

He added: "It was fun to start with, it was great to watch. But it’s just the mess it makes."

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