Hey everyone! My neighbor recently had their hedges ripped out, and I know for a fact that at least two pairs of Robins were nesting there. My daughter and I loved watching them build their nests and feed their babies. I informed both my daughter and the tree surgeons about the birds, but the neighbor insisted the hedges needed to come down and denied the presence of any nests. I'm really upset about this and thinking of documenting the situation to potentially report it to the police and the RSPB. Has anyone had success with similar issues before?
5 Answers
I understand how frustrating this must be. While it's indeed illegal, it might be difficult to enforce since they already did it. Maybe focus on making your own garden a bird paradise instead! Native plants, shrubs, and flowers can attract insects, and don't forget to put up some nest boxes for next year!
It's illegal to cut down hedges while birds are nesting! If you've got any photos of the Robins, that could really help your case. You should definitely look into this further.
Yes, I think I might have some pics! I’ll dig them up.
You're gonna need to figure out if you can prove there was a nest there this year. Without evidence, it might be tough to take action. But don't lose hope just yet!
It's definitely a tough situation, and it sounds like you might need solid proof—videos or timestamped photos would be ideal. You could also contact a wildlife officer, but they typically need to see the situation happening. Otherwise, you could leave a bad review for the tree surgeons online to hold them accountable in some way!
I would feel furious too! Just a heads up, neighbors can make your life a bit hellish over disputes like this. Think carefully about how far you want to push it after all that's already happened. But if you have some evidence, like a Robin's egg that fell nearby, that could work in your favor!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm already working on that with wildflowers and a birdbath. But I'm still hoping something can be done about the neighbor.