If your garden is blessed with trees there is every chance you might also be lucky enough to find birds choosing to make their homes in these – that is unless you want to cut a tree back or move it.
The law is firm on protecting nesting birds so it is important not to disturb the bird’s nest once it has been spotted, even if that interferes with your plans for making changes to the garden.
It can, however, be tricky to tell if an empty nest is being used.
It is common for birds to only use a nest once and never return, although some species will return to the nest.
A nest found without eggs in it could be in the process of being built, it could have been abandoned due to a threat or it may be one of a number built but not used.
However, on finding a nest in a tree or shrub during nesting season it is important to leave it alone as it may become home to nesting birds.
Respect the nesting season
As the law is firm on disturbing nesting birds it is wise to leave a nest as it is until after the nesting season, which runs from February until August.
Obviously a nest where there is evidence of birds coming and going, or where eggs have been laid should be left well alone, however much this frustrates your gardening plans.
It sometimes happens that birds abandon their nest and the eggs in it if faced with a threat. In this case it might be wise to contact a local wildlife centre.
Regardless of what you believe the status of the nest to be the best advice is to err on the side of caution, which means delaying any gardening plans that may affect a bird’s nest until the autumn.
With the nesting season over you can be fairly sure that the nest is not home to fledgling birds.
Seek professional advice
If you are concerned about the safety of a nest or are worried about pest birds and the potential for spreading disease take advice from a professional bird control service.
Here Total Bird Control we have many years experience in dealing with birds in offering expert advice and implementing preventative and removal methods if necessary to both domestic and commercial environments.
Speak to the experts
If you are concerned about pest birds nesting at your property get in touch with the Total Bird Control team and call 020 8226 4012 today.