Hedge cutting during the nesting season

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Spreckly
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Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by Spreckly »

Please can someone tell me if it is illegal to trim hedges whilst the birds are nesting.

Our neighbour leaves her hedges, which border our property, and they grow up and up and up. Theuy take light from both our rooms. The garden is totally overgrown at the back, and has been for several years, the front is a haven for docks, rubbish, and we have had a rat problem, but not this year, thank goodness.

I have just spoken to her - she is not approachable on the whole, and she tells me that her hedges are not an excuse, as the birds are nesting, and it is illegal to cut them. She tells me that this is not an excuse, and that birds nest until September yike* yike* It must be three years since the height was taken off the hedges. If they were ours, they would be kept and maintained at six feet.

Other excuses are the weather!!

I told her that my attitude was stuff the birds, and she told me that she is a conservationist (the rats will be pleased, they live next door).

In my defense of "stuff the birds", we have bird poo on our back yard, I am unable to use my clothes lines in the garden, which are a target for them, and I do love birds, but not their mess.

This neighbour and her thirty plus year old son are a constant problem to the five dwellings in this row, people generally remark on the mess, and the Parish Council have no authority to make them clear their place up. I realise that people have a right to live as they wish, just wish they were'nt adjacent to us.
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wendy
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by wendy »

It is illegal while they are nesting, and very cruel, if it wasn't.
They don't nest until September, I am sure.
Have a google and you will know when you can cut them back
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Spreckly
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by Spreckly »

Thanks for your reply Wendy.
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Mo
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by Mo »

Slightly more complicated than that. Here is the official version
What you must not do
You’re breaking the law if you:
intentionally kill, injure or take wild birds
intentionally take, damage or destroy a wild bird’s nest while it’s being used or built
intentionally take or destroy a wild bird’s egg
…..
Activities that can harm birds
These activities can affect wild birds, particularly during breeding season:
trimming or cutting trees, bushes, hedges and rough vegetation
...creating disturbance, eg noise, lighting and vibration


If farmers are receiving Single Payments they can't cut hedges, I had the idea it might be up to Sep. Well, that was what was in my mind. BUT I cant find it anywhere in the DEFRA cross compliance rules.
OTOH, if you were hedge-cutting with a flail or other machinary you would be unable to avoid destroying any nest that was there, so probably the rule means that in practice.
For a garden, if you are careful and look for birds flying in and out, stop when you see one, it could be OK. I think???? Probably best to avoid the height of the breeding season.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
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Spreckly
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by Spreckly »

Thank you for the information, Mo.
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wendy
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by wendy »

I have 15 trees in my garden and I get an awful lot of birds nesting in them.
I get the tree surgeons to cut back in January.
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Fiona71
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Re: Hedge cutting during the nesting season

Post by Fiona71 »

Your neighbour is right, birds nest till August then need to hang around for 3 weeks with their parents till independent. Blackbirds can't fend for themselves once they've left the nest they need the hedge to survive. More people should leave their hedge to go wild for nature. )like(
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