Pruning big trees - crows nests destroyed

Kaylee

Hi

The school near to me has beautiful big horse chestnut trees in front of it, I can see them from my back garden and a few days ago I counted about 10 crows/rooks nests in them.

This morning the tree surgeon is here lobbing bits off the trees and I now see that there are no nests left in the trees.

Is this standard practice? I mean, I know that the trees are old and need to be looked after but shouldn't any pruning have been done much earlier in the year?

Will the crows rebuild their nests? There must be hundreds of them around this area and they put on a fabulous flying display later in the summer/autumn.

Any opinions gratefully received.

Regards,
Kaylee

Birdnuts

Kaylee wrote: »

Hi



Is this standard practice? I mean, I know that the trees are old and need to be looked after but shouldn't any pruning have been done much earlier in the year?

Regards,
Kaylee

Of course it could have been, with plenty of suitable weather back in February and early March. I've seen similiar type of vandalism going on in these parts recently with the use of a large digger. I don't no whether the people who do this are plain ignorant or just don't give a damn that under the law interfering with nesting birds is illegal between March and August:(

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Contact your local council Environment office. They will know how to handle this and if there are specific circumstances permitting what is ordinarily an offence. They will deal with the matter.

The good news is that at this stage of the season Rooks will certainly build elsewhere.

Poll Dubh

Leyla Modern History wrote: »

Contact your local council Environment office. They will know how to handle this and if there are specific circumstances permitting what is ordinarily an offence. They will deal with the matter.

What powers do the council have in relation to this? I'm not aware that they had any.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They are the ones with the power to take action!

Kaylee

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I rang the Council today and explained to the lady in the Environment Section what had happened. She had a quick look at the legislation in relation to the March to August rule and told me that only hedges and ditches were covered by it - not trees.

Seems a bit odd to me that trees would be omitted - anyone know if this is really the case?

Anyway, she couldn't get hold of anyone in the Parks division but they would know more about it. I left her my number so that someone could ring me if there was any update when she spoke to someone there.

Regards,
Kaylee

Poll Dubh

Leyla Modern History wrote: »

They are the ones with the power to take action!

To take what action on what basis?

This looks like an offence under section 22(4)(d) of the Wildlife Act - the wilful destruction of the nest of a protected bird. If you could see that nests were there so then could the tree surgeon. None of the exemptions seem to apply to pruning trees around a school 22(5). I'd get on to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

gbee

Unless it was deemed urgent then the felling should not have occurred during nesting time.

mikom

The relevant laws and exceptions are here.... http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1220.html
and here....
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1361.html

IrishHomer

The lady in the council is incorrect saying trees are not covered 1st of all all birds eggs and nests are protected by law end of story.

the correct people to have contacted is your local Gardai or the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

http://www.npws.ie/en/ContactUs/

Its not too late to get this sorted please look at the above site.

What County are you talking about?

You can also pm me if you would like further advice.

Poll Dubh

mikom wrote: »

The relevant laws and exceptions are here.... http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1220.html
and here....
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1361.html

Good info there but the big issue here is that birds nests were known to be in the tree before the pruning took place - see my edit above.

IrishHomer

Poll Dubh wrote: »

Good info there but the big issue here is that birds nests were known to be in the tree before the pruning took place - see my edit above.

Yes but it's a matter for the Gardai or NPWS to find this out. (a loty of people don't realise but the Gardai are under remit to enforece the Wildlife Acts of 1976 & 2000 as well as NPWS personnel)

Kaylee

Thanks for the further advice.

I rang the NPWS this morning and was given the Conservation Officer's mobile number. I rang and told him the story, he made all the right noises and said that I probably didn't want to go to the District Court with this, so what he would do is that he would phone the Tree Surgeon in question (I got the name from the van) and maybe call out to the school and let them know that what they did was wrong, in no uncertain terms etc. He says that this is not an unusual occurance in general.

I suppose the damage is already done so that's that.

I am surprised that any Tree Surgeon would undertake this when they, most likely, know the legislation. I'm guessing that they are eager for work and assumed that if they refused to do it then another tree surgeon would take the job.

Anyways, thats the situation to date.

Regards,
kaylee