Conifer removal - birds nest(s)

Fill_7

hi,

im wanting to lop 3 conifers in my garden that have grown too large. about 4 months ago i started chopping the branches off one which didnt seem to impress a couple of blackbirds. they started chirping at me and flying quite close to me.:eek: at that point i dropped my saw and legged it inside!! ive since observed blackbirds and sparrows flying to and from the conifers so im guessing there's nests in all of them. do they stay in the nest all year round or is it a seasonal thing? i dont really wanna disturb their homes, but the conifers need to go asap. any suggestions anyone? isnt it illegal to 'destroy' a birds nest?

alanobrien

I had the same thing last year. I was lopping 6ft of a Leylandii hedge got to the middle and found a nest. I went round it and left that bit in the middle.

It looked odd for a while but they only nest for a few weeks then the chicks fly off and the nest is abandoned, lopped it off afterwards. Give them a few weeks then take another look, they will be gone.

chatta

I would think most birds have finished with their nest now. They make new nests each year.

Lord_Gardener

Late summer/early autumn is the correct time to prune conifers!