To have got batshit crazy re..neighbour

[Cally62]

So just before 1pm tree surgeons arrived at neighbours. I was upstairs pottering so saw them arrive from bedroom window. Thought that they were going to trim a huge tree in neighbours garden. I was wrong...they started to cut down a tree from other neighbours garden which was overhanging theirs. I immediately opened the upstairs window and shouted "Oi" had to shout a few times...as chainsaw was in full cutting mode. Random guy turned it off. I shouted that there were nesting birds in that particular tree...guy just laughed at me, turned the chainsaw back on and hacked away. I phoned the council...no one available due to covid situation. Tried local bird sanctuary...closed. Called a wildlife sanctuary for advice...was told to phone police. Took ages for the police to figure out that it was actually illegal to cut trees down with nesting birds...call logged. Then phoned the RSPCA...that took ages and I was cut off at one point. During this time tree butcherssurgeons had hacked down the tree and shredded everything. Suspect that the nest and any babies were also shredded. By 1.30pm the rspca attended...couldn't find any nests in hacked down tree or evidence of nests. Not only had the tree surgeons hacked down the tree super quickly they had shredded everything and gone within half an hour. Neighbour then went out and literally crawling around on her knees and cleared up the rest of the mess. So rspca have no evidence. I know that there were nesting birds in there 'cos I've been watching them all lockdown making nests and the past few days taking food in.
So...aibu to fucking hate my neighbour. f only I'd fucking taped the tree cutting and made the calls later. I wouldn't have saved the birds but the police and the rspca would have evidence to prosecute.

But what did the neighbours who's tree it was say ? I'd be fuming if someone cut down my tree .
I'm a bird lover there is a tree next door to me with lots of birds and I wouldn't go and cut it down .

Of course they're cowboys. All tree professionals know about the nesting birds rule or they should.

neighbours did that to us a couple of years ago -- I was so so so upset. Luckily the birds were back and are back now, but htere were 3 nests on the ground and a couple of dead babies. Heartbreaking.

If your tree has branches which overhang your neighbour, then your neighbour can have those branches but back to the boundary, but I think they are supposed to return the cut off bit to you as it belongs to your tree.

Good neighbours obviously talk to each other about this stuff before just going ahead and doing it.

Your horrid neighbours have stolen the branches from their neighbours as well as broken the 'not in nesting season' law.

It's just so sad. They are probably destroying nests every day over and over again.
However what is really sad is the destruction of all the ancient Woodlands which happening right now. Think of all those birds nests, badger sets with cubs, bat roosts and all the other wildlife which is being destroyed by hs2. Because people cannot see it happening on their doorstep they are not upset by it.

Report them. It's an offence.

Had one done recently. Very professional. Checked the tree, had a wobble over a sort of wild nesty type thing until I told them it was an unused carion nest from last year (started but never occupied), tree down and shredded within an hour. I am still in mourning over my lovely tree but the neighbour is happier that it no longer cuts off her phone, power company happier it does not whack into their lines and men in family happy it does not deposit "planty crap" all over the cars. Have to admit, loads of light now.
There are still companies that put commercial interest over wildlife laws. Look at the hedge hacking that happens around event venues before an event.

“hunting I have to ask why did your husband stand and take 20 minutes abuse from anyone?”

He was pretty much in shock. It was quite something. “Blame the victim” takes energy as a strategy.

Expert and accomplished cowboys, though, to have managed to cut down and shred an entire tree from a neighbouring garden.

In half an hour as well!

Baby birds squealing for food, cat walked up and down drive on lead 🧐

Your neighbours are vile human beings- callous, arrogant people who think they are above the law.

My husband is a tree surgeon for our local council and they are not allowed to touch trees with nests, bats or squirrels in.

Just because they are not allowed doesn’t mean some tree surgeons don’t.

We had 2 m cut off a huge hedge reduced to 1m last week.
The tree surgeons spent a lot of time checking for nests before chopping it right back.

They wouldn't touch the huge dense Hedge on the other side because they couldn't be sure. Said it will have to wait until late summer/Autumn.

I'm no fan of birds nesting at the moment as they are in our roof and have caused damage. I wouldn't disturb them though.

The trees are still bare here so could you actually see the nest in your neighbour's tree?

Sounds like they hired cowboys.
Proper tree surgeons cost a fortune to 'hire' and follow the rules.

Expert and accomplished cowboys, though, to have managed to cut down and shred an entire tree from a neighbouring garden.

In half an hour as well

I was thinking that!
Took half an hour for our tree surgeons to get set up last week!

I can never understand how some people are so stupid that they trim their tweets and bushes in late spring when in full bloom rather than late autumn when the trees are bare. So much less crap to get rid of and no damage to nesting birds.

Spring is the best time to cut certain types of hedges - before new growth kicks in.

After reading the OP's updates, I don't think this is real

Actually this is a genuine post...this happened yesterday lunchtime. I'm certain that my neighbours and tree surgeon knew it was wrong. I have not said that they cut the whole tree but trimmed the overhang which amounted to roughly 2/3 of the tree and which had nesting birds in it.
I understand that not everyone thinks that any if not all wildlife needs protecting.
I stand by my post and am committed to making people aware that this is the main nesting time for all our garden birds and that it is illegal to cut tree, hedges, bushes etc with nesting birds in them.