Hedge Cutting

[Yaffle]

With the nesting season well under way now, can I please draw attention to the dangers or getting too gung ho when working in the garden this spring. Check for nest in any hedges or bushes you are cutting or pruning and, if you find any, please leave well alone or risk scaring the parents away from any eegs or chicks that might be there.

It is an offence under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside act to intentionally disturb a bird on the nest. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 If you see anyone who might be potentially disturbing nesting birds, point out what the result of their actions may be. If they continue with their actions they are now intentionally disturbing the birds and should be reported to the RSPB for wildlife crime. Birds can be nesting throughout the summer months, some have multiple broods throughout the breeding season, so it is safest to wait untill at least September before doing anything drastic in the garden. The winter months are always best for this sort of work anyway, when most things are dormant.

[meinchewster]

here here! In addition to this, any cat owners out there (of which I am one) please take responsible action by providing your cat with a bell collar or sonic scarer collar.

My next door refuses to do so, last year one of her cats was catching upto 3 shrews a day, many other small mammals, nesting swallows and a thrush fledgeling to name just the ones I witnessed. Her argument is the cat doesnt like wearing a collar and he keeps pests down!

This attitude I hope is a minority but while people have this blinkered, defiant mindset the struggle for wildlife conservation in many peoples gardens will continue.

Any ideas, bar missing cat scenario?

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by Yaffle

If you see anyone who might be potentially disturbing nesting birds, point out what the result of their actions may be. If they continue with their actions they are now intentionally disturbing the birds and should be reported to the RSPB for wildlife crime.

Totally agree with this and thanks for the timely reminder.

However, I'd urge people not just to contact the RSPB (which can be done online btw) but also the Wildlife Liaison Officer at their local police station. Most Police Stations have a local Wildlife crime officer now and they will be able to take quicker enforcement action than the RSPB (The RSPB don't enforce the law and probably also will refer you to the WLO in your area if there is a known disturbance in progress)

See here for finding the contact in your area

Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) | Defra

For reporting to the RSPB and for advice re: disturbance of birds, details of who to contact here:

Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) | Defra

and the RSPB contact page here:

The RSPB: Wild birds and the law: Report a wildlife crime

[ashby_1963]

I undertake quite a lot of commercial and domestic hedge cutting and I take the time to check the area for any nesting birds.
If I discover a nest in use, I advise the customer to postpone the job until later in the season or leave a decent-sized area around the nest undisturbed.

Never in 20 years has a customer asked me to proceed regardless - and most are grateful that I pointed it out.
It seems that it is a lack of understanding rather than a lack of compassion that is the problem.

I wonder if some of the larger garden centres could get together and produce a free leaflet pointing out some of the potential hazards that customers might be causing the wildlife in their gardens?
It would save countless creatures and could even spark a lifelong interest for them.

[Yaffle]

Thanks for all the positive replies. Since I posted about this the local council contractors just took out a large area of brambles where I know birds were nesting. I wasn't able to catch them at it but I have contacted the contractors only to be told that they had merely "trimmed" the brambles. It annoys me that they obviously think I am either stupid or a liar, so I sent them photographic evidence that the bushes had been removed. I'll let you know how they respond - if they bother to respond at all...