Cutting Hedges (1 Viewer)

[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Folks,

Can anyone help and advise me with this tricky problem which seems to happen every year.

We are always being told birds are in decline and to be careful to check before cutting hedges. We birdwatchers do I hope but round here at the moment everyone is cutting them and there will be birds nesting in some. A girl at work was most dreadfully upset when cutting hers found she had destroyed a nest, she had not known about any bird nests. "Are chicks brought by the Stork".

I have looked at the law and all it says is that people should check first and it is an offence if it is cut deliberately knowing there is a nest. I think the law needs strengthening to cover the specific months birds are nesting. What do you all think?

I have written to RSPB, BTO, and DEFRA, wonder if I get any replies. A few years ago when the decline in Sparrows started I wrote asking if they thought cutting hedges and trees at nesting time may be a factor and the reply from one (can't remember who think BTO) was "what I think you are trying to say Mrs Chaplin is gardens are too tidy". I wasn't and of course since the London Sparrow research it is obvious (to me) that hedges are a major factor.

The RSPB do a wonderful job protecting birds in the wild, but how about in our gardens?

Please please help me get the law changed or at least national coverage in the press or on tv ie in January/February reminding people it is an offence and the penalties.

I am hoping the Springwatch series covers this "thorny" subject although it is too late this year many kids will remember and remind their parents next year I hope.

You maybe can tell from my writing I am very upset about this as my own next door neighbour cuts the hedge between us which is shared (without asking or checking with me, he has a fence his side and can't see into the hedge). We don't get on because of "my birds", his wife has loads of feeders but as soon as he sees any signs of young ones he cuts it. I once asked him if he had checked for signs of nests and birds and he said "they've gone, plenty more where they came from") they had gone he saw to that.

Wednesday 25 May my garden was full of birds at 6 pm at 7 pm it was like a morgue and when I went to investigate (thinking hawk) the hedge had been done, it had barely just started growing and he has cut it back hard into the old wood straight across, not even shaped, is a right mess as always and of course there is not a dammed thing I can do about it.

Ironic I have been doing the RSPB Nestwatch and of course cannot check the hedges for signs of nesting (they are privet by the way) as that would be "deliberately causing disturbance".

Come on friends please let's get together and STOP it happening. Any lawyers out there please get in touch if you think you can help me.

Ann

 

[hil5]

If you see someone cutting a hedge politely remind them that there could be nesting birds in there and to wait until September.

Often people don't realize and see the hedge growing madly this time of year. If they find a nest maybe they'll learn.

I agree a press campaign could be done to remind people not to cut hedges between April - Sept

As for your neighbour could you not have a word with his wife instead? She sounds like she cares for birds with her feeders.

 

[florall]

I agree Ann. this has been bugging me the last week or two as well. In one short drive (five miles) last week, I passed four people cutting hedges.

As regards your neighbour, hil5's suggestion sounds like your best bet - trying to get his wife on your side. Or, and I don't know how difficult this would be, could you stretch some wire just below the top, so that when he starts, he blunts his shears?

 

[Andrew]

Surely if it is a boundary hedge he can not cut your half and has breached your rights.

 

[songbird6666]

This is a subject that seriously winds me up too. On the way back from town last weekend, in a 10 mile stretch, I saw two places where there were people hacking down conifer trees. One of these, they had a huge farmer's trailer full of the trees. I should imagine several nests were destroyed amongst that lot. Where I used to live, they did the same thing, there were about six conifer trees in the front garden, and they chopped them to the ground about this time of the year, they destroyed three nests that I saw, one with eggs in. "Oh, they had been abandoned, the eggs were stone cold" is what I got when I mentioned it! And they were bird lovers, had feeders up too. I was livid.

To be perfectly honest, I am getting quite sick of the majority of the human race, who are so selfish and rude and arrogant nowadays, I spend most of my life looking unhappily around with such a feeling of utter despair. And as for having a polite word with anyone you see cutting their hedge, I don't think so. I can imagine what the reaction would be from 99% of people, and the second word is "off"

Let's face it, we are the exception, not the norm on this forum. Most people just don't give a damn. :-C

 

[A CHAPLIN]

Cutting Hedges and Trees

Hi Folks,

Thank you for your support. I cannot understand his wife either, feeds the birds but when I spoke to her a few years ago, before hedge cutting she went off at me like a screaming fishwife, it was horrible. Then when he came home he came hammering on my door "I am the man of the house and don't talk to her in future, tell it to me" and I will do what I ****** want kind of thing. He didn't even say her name, that's the sort they are. I was so frightened I even phoned the police for advice and they said if he "actually threatened me" I should phone them straight away. I now just avoid them.

I am trying to get support so that nationally everyone is aware of birds, hedges, trees and the law but even that is unclear, it does not mention specific months and it is only an offence if someone "intentionally" disturbs a nest, who is going to admit to that. There probably are no nests in that piece of hedge but I cannot look as I may break the law if I do find one. Can someone please invent a bird detector like a bat detector or can I buy one of those heat seeking cameras the police use for searches, although if there were dead birds or eggs that would be no help.

Everyone on here has examples of nests being destroyed why can't we do something about it? Apparently councils now tell farmers not to cut hedges until September why can't we get a law passed to make it clear ALL hedges and trees should not be cut.

Thanks again for your support

Ann

 

[ermine]

It's only natural to think that other people are being bloody-minded when they're endangering something you hold dear. But I really do think the issue here is far more one of awareness than of malice! I am city born and yes, before getting interested in birds I used to cut my hedges when they started to get out of hand - like about now! As far as I was knew birds nest in trees so you trim trees and ivy in Autumn to avoid taking their nests out but the idea of birds using hedges was news to me so there was no big deal in trimming them in spring.

I wasn't "selfish rude and arrogant" - merely ignorant and unobesrvant. When cutting back what looked to be like a unruly shrub a few years back I took a lot of earache from a male blackbird. It worked for the bird - I slowed down, then looked harder, and in a daft position in the fork of a tree behind the shrub there was a blackbird nest. I downed tools, backed away slowly and let it be. I later on put a electronic cat scarer nearby since I happened to know that was a favourite place for the neighbour's tabby cat to stalk. This nest produced several successful young and this incident is probably behind kindling an interest in birds.

Us humans are big animals and we charge around sometimes not using our minds and eyes and ears as much as we perhaps ought to. But most normal people relate well to birds even if they aren't in any way birders. The solution to this problem in my view is therefore raising awareness - both through nature and gardening programmes and publications, not an issue lawmaking/enforcement.

 

[songbird6666]

It ought to be against the law to trim, cut or fell any tree, bush, hedge or shrub (other than one that is causing a danger) from end of February to end of June full stop. Then end of problem. Anyone seen or heard doing so can be prosecuted. And a bit more peace and quiet to be had in June too, without the noise of aggravating electric or petrol hedgecutters.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

It ought to be against the law to trim, cut or fell any tree, bush, hedge or shrub (other than one that is causing a danger) from end of February to end of June full stop.

Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin and Long-tailed Tit often start nesting in January.

Bullfinch and Yellowhammer still have young in the nest in August.

Andy.

 

[songbird6666]

Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin and Long-tailed Tit often start nesting in January.

Bullfinch and Yellowhammer still have young in the nest in August.

Andy.

If that's the case then there is no chance of protecting our birds. Farmers here are pretty good at not disturbing hedges and verges during the late spring and early summer, but they normally do all the hedges round their fields around here in February. And the councils normally cut those belonging to them and the verges in July. May as well give up then. No way would gardeners tolerate not being able to do theirs until September.

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Here in the North-East,I think if no hedges were cut between the end of March and September it would be a great help and I really feel with so much of our birds natural habitat being destroyed the RSPB should place advertisements on TV and radio throughout this period ,to educate people.
Gardening centres could do their bit too by displaying notices asking people to remember the birds and having a special section of bird friendly plants.
Often people are following the directions on the plants themselves and feel they have to do it according to the instructions.
Local radio stations would give out free of charge regular plugs for bird friendly advice and so could gardening programmes.The RSPB should be ensuring all of these things are done and nowadays e-mails cost nothing ,but time.
I certainly wouldn't object to a law being brought out but I am all for education too.

 

[rosa]

It's only natural to think that other people are being bloody-minded when they're endangering something you hold dear. But I really do think the issue here is far more one of awareness than of malice! I am city born and yes, before getting interested in birds I used to cut my hedges when they started to get out of hand - like about now! As far as I was knew birds nest in trees so you trim trees and ivy in Autumn to avoid taking their nests out but the idea of birds using hedges was news to me so there was no big deal in trimming them in spring.

I wasn't "selfish rude and arrogant" - merely ignorant and unobesrvant. When cutting back what looked to be like a unruly shrub a few years back I took a lot of earache from a male blackbird. It worked for the bird - I slowed down, then looked harder, and in a daft position in the fork of a tree behind the shrub there was a blackbird nest. I downed tools, backed away slowly and let it be. I later on put a electronic cat scarer nearby since I happened to know that was a favourite place for the neighbour's tabby cat to stalk. This nest produced several successful young and this incident is probably behind kindling an interest in birds.

Us humans are big animals and we charge around sometimes not using our minds and eyes and ears as much as we perhaps ought to. But most normal people relate well to birds even if they aren't in any way birders. The solution to this problem in my view is therefore raising awareness - both through nature and gardening programmes and publications, not an issue lawmaking/enforcement.

I too am guilty of ignorance I'm afraid - not for much longer. I have a laurel hedge along my driveway that I trim regularly - about once a fortnight in spring and summer. Fortunately the birds don't like it for nesting in but I only ever 'tickle' the tops and sides using secateurs (I don't like shears, makes a mess of the remaining half cut leaves) so I feel sure that if there was anything nesting in it, like your blackbird, I would be aware or even be made aware!

I have noticed that since I cut the laurel this weekend the sparrows are trying to hover over it, trying to land and feed on something. Maybe the cut stalks have attracted a particular insect and the sparrows are partial to them, I'm afraid I'm at a loss as to what they are trying to get. :h?:

I hope you don't think too badly of me cutting my hedge but I never cut it right back - I just take off the 'stray' new shoots (never into the old wood) so that it remains tidy but is still some 4 to 5 feet tall.

 

[Terry O'Nolley]

THe problem doesn't seem to be cutting hedges too often - the problem is not cutting hedges often enough.

If hedges were trimmed weekly, there would never be the problem of touching a nest because birds don't nest on top of the hedge - they nest down it it.

So maybe you should campaign to have the laws written so people with hedges must trim them weekly.

 

[Mary Evelyn]

When we had our privet hedge (200ft.)we had Blackbirds nesting everyyear.The hedge was cut back at the end of September hard and was fine for nesting in Spring.The nests were successful.We also had an Elder and one privet untouched and the birds used it to roost.It's all down to thoughtfullness and good management.
When the privet became old (40yrs)and we were having work done,we replaced it with Berberis Darwini (now 3 yrs old).

The Blackbirds didn't mind us doing light pruning on the privet but I think they wouldn't have enjoyed the sound of an electric trimmer being used everyweek and nowadays not many people would take kindly to working with shears.
I certainly agree that density is a must for the birds and provides a safe cover..