The Poolie Bunker

I usually get blackbirds and thrushes nesting in the gardens around me at this time of year.
Noticed a few discarded blue egg shells on the lawn the other day, which means the female blackbird will be busy feeding her young over the next couple of weeks.

Last year a neighbour came out in April time and began to prune the hedges so I had a word and told him about the nesting season running from March till September it would be better to prune the hedges at some other time. I was ignored. Cue the blackbirds going mad around the hedge while the work took place.

Well the same neighbour is now pruning the hedge again and I am 99.99% certain that the blackbird's nest is in the hedge.
Had a word with him again and said can you not do the hedge once a year say in October, why April. And informed him again that there will be nests with youngsters in at this time of the year. Ignored me again and proceed to cut right into the hedge with his new hedge trimmer.

Any advice? Apart from using the trimmer on him!

Tell him he's a kunt....because he is!!!

Do you want to borrow my dogs…just tie them to the fence….then tidy up at the end of the day.
Happy to help.

Makes my blood boil when people do this to birds and animals.
Total disregard! The neighbour can't even claim ignorance as it was spelt out to him last year and this year.
A call to the RSPB ...

All wild bird species, their eggs and nests are protected by law. You must always try to avoid harming birds or to use measures which do not kill or injure them before considering taking harmful action.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences#what-you-must-not-do

Report the twat.

Shame the blackbird/thrushes are not on the Schedule 1 list otherwise he would be disturbing them with what he is doing and be fined.

RSPB say unless he destroys/damages the nest intentionally there is nothing they can do.
I added that I had informed him of the nests in the hedge so if any damage was done, then surely that is with intent.
The replied they can only do something if the nest is destroyed.

So I need to somehow get into his back garden, with my stepladders and check all is okay.

Shame about them not being on the list. I thought that all of the birds that are in the gardens were wild. Discrimination even in the wild.

You woud think common sense would prevail but that would be asking too much from the neighbour!

While he is in the garden, Go in his house and turn the leccy off at the junction box, Not the plug.
And when he asks has your leccy gone off, Just say yes.

Good idea!

But the trimmer is cordless! Shame!

I,d still go in and turn his leccy off anyway.

I just despair with some people. Sheer ignorance.

The best advice to protect nature is to do nowt and just sit on your arse drinking beer.

Going to order myself a sniper rifle and take him out from my bedroom window.

Nesting birds in hedges are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
While a wild bird is using or building a nest, any damage or destruction it might suffer is an offence under the Act.
You cannot trim your hedge during the bird nesting season, this applies to all birds.
That’s the law.

I've taken a photo of the twat, am I allowed to post it on here?
I'm going to email the RSPB with the photo as I was not happy with their advice earlier.

Someone needs to have a word with him!!!

I believe the law banning hedge trimming in the breeding season does not apply to domestic property hedges. However the twat mentioned earlier needs a good talking to!

Years ago I was working for a local engineering company that made large off-road articulated trucks, we shipped them all over the world, a Mistle Thrush had nested in one of the cabs in a brand new truck awaiting shipping, needless to say once word got out the truck was nearly two months late for shipping till it could be moved and the fledglings had left the nest.

If it’s an electric trimmer,chuck some water over him.

The twat left the job 1/2 done from yesterday so I expect he will resume today.
I will try and let him know what I think of his actions yet again.

What makes it heartbreaking is that we have a lot of crows around here and they attack the nests in May when the baby birds are just about to leave the nests. I know that is nature and nothing we can do about it. The crows are very devious, they will hop along the tops of the hedges looking for the nests and they return later when the young are an easy meal.

But by using the hedge trimmer, not only has this twat disturbed the blackbirds but he taken off all the hedge cover that was protecting the nest from the crows' peering eyes making the nest more vulnerable.

And what about wood pigeons, how daft are they!
They will build an open nest in a tree, lay an egg or two and the crows just come down and take the eggs for breakfast!

whats the point. nobody did a blind thing about someone killing a heron on the river near me a few years back even when they had footage of the incident and a cop knew who they were.

even worse than one individual is councils who insist on cutting the verges of duel carriageways that are not obstructing the view of drivers and are home to many insects and small animals. they are just verges on the side of roads not public parks.

If Raj was nesting in my hedge................

Even better if Raj was cutting the hedge...

I have a 7ft hedge at the back of my garden and always inspect it for nests before trimming it.

Always had respect for wildlife.

Maybe a visit from the RSPOB would shape him up.

I do all my pruning etc in Oct/Nov, you usually get a few nice autumn days and no worries about the birds.

you can also use the birds and insects a reason to do nothing in the garden and keep your other half quiet for once.

My pruning will now take place in Dec after reading that.
Plus gives me the chance to tidy up the garden in one go.

Our council workers obliterated a partridge nest & eggs in Greatham.

no surprise there. when they trim bushes especially rhodedendrons you think some teenagers have been around vandalising the place.

Post that through his letterbox.

I will be doing that Mutley, you can rest assured about that.