Early in the spring around february towards the first part of March one year here I was helping a fella calve out 350 of his cows.Long 16 hour days and every day no breaks for weeks.So coming home was a matter to just get the house warm/cleaned up/fed/and to bed for the next day as soon as possible to get rested for the next day.
One time I come home in the dark seeing my damper on my wood stove was turned or disturbed.I suspected something had gotten in there from the top side through the rain cap and into the stove pipe.Probably a bird I thought.Knowing it was in the wood stove already I got ready with a bat minten racket to swat whatever was going to come out of there when I opened the stove door.I opened the front door first so whatever it was could get out the door easily.
I opened the door and out flew a darn old starling.Flying all around the room from corner to corner from what seemed more than a few times.From him being in the stove pipe he had a fair amount of black soot all over himself and left quite a few black streaks all over my nice clean white walls.He finally seen the door hole and got outside.
Next morning before leaving early I put a strip of 1"by2" welded wire around the opening of the rain cap to stop that from happening any more.
PS...As a side note while I was a bachelor I raised many wild critters in the house.Baby crows/owls/squirrels/ferrets/numerous pups thinking from the top of my head.I'm sure I'm forgetting some other critters too,but no snakes yet.....lol.