Bird nests

[ColinHutch]

Can somebody please link me up with any legalities I need to be aware of with regards to bird nest reports, working near nests etc.

 

[Mark Bolam]

Google ‘Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981’ mate.

Loads on there, but I doubt reports are covered.

Most of it pertains to destruction or disturbance.

[warren]

I have emailed the rspb for their definition of disturbance. .. if i get an answer I'll post it.

[ColinHutch]

Thanks gents

[skyhuck]

8 hours ago, EdwardC said:

Disturb, verb, to interrupt an activity.

 

If what you are doing causes the bird to leave the nest, make a distress/warning call, react in any way to your actions, it could be said that you have interrupted it's activity.

Why are cat owners not prosecuted daily?

 

I would argue simply acquiring a cat fulfils the definition in your post.

[monkeybusiness]

Intentionally or recklessly - let's not forget those words too. 

I'm sure the best paid lawyer on either side would win if it came to court - (not that the law in this country can be bought off of course)..... 

[skyhuck]

14 minutes ago, EdwardC said:

 

Only if it takes control of your mind and instructs you to disturb an active nest.

Thats like lighting a fire and when it spreads and burns a tree with a nest in it, blaming the fire.

 

The actions of a cat are totally foreseeable and the owners should be held responsible, IMO.

 

It'll never happen, we live in a ridiculous world full of hypocrisy and nonsense. Bankers get away with daylight robbery, littering by ballon, firework or lantern is fine etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

[Khriss]

I would do a ground search -  record you have done that - then if discovered in tree on a climb, check if active ( eggs) - leave tree alone till fledging , our work is so noisey that NOT disturbing sitting birds is impossible. K

[skyhuck]

A couple of weeks ago l dismantled a very large beech, having removed 90% of the tree, I craned off a section of trunk just above a small cavity. I had looked into this cavity earlier and saw no sign of life, it was too small for my hand. There had been no sign of parent birds. Upon removing the section of trunk, a much larger internal cavity was revealed, there was a nest with 2 partially feathered jackdaws, covered in sawdust. 

I called a halt to the job and arranged to return a fortnight later. This was the third day of the job.

we returned last Friday, upon climbing up  I discovered they were still there, fully feathered, but not yet ready to leave. We will return again in another fortnight and finally finish the job.

 

Did we disturb them? I guess we did, but clearly not enough to cause them harm.

[departed]

In my experience once the eggs have hatched, the parents won't abandon the nest. Or not as readily as if they were just eggs at least.