Cutting Down Trees With Nesting Birds. If a protected species of bird is nesting in such a tree however then a licence from DEFRA has to be acquired. The contractors have had the whole winter to cut down these trees and it seems the height of irresponsibility to be doing it now in the middle of the nesting season.
Cutting down a branch with a birds nest on it can eliminate not only the brood that was nested there but also all the generations of birds that would have come from them. Construction activity within 300 feet of an active nest should be delayed until the nest is no longer active. Avoid contracting services that only trim trees because they have to work year around.
The bird nesting season according to Natural England begins on March 1st and runs through to July 31st.
Regardless of ownership no-one can trim or cut a hedge if the action damages active birds nests and hence violates the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Construction activity within 300 feet of an active nest should be delayed until the nest is no longer active. If a branch has to be cut down during nesting season make sure you have an expert look carefully for signs of bird activity. This however is a guideline and it can be assumed that birds will nest both before and after this time period.