trees, birds, nests

[Temporarything]

I need some trees lopped and trimmed. They are next to a holly tree that has an active birds nest. We aren’t going to trim the holly. Can the tree workers just work around the holly tree? Or will they have to wait?

Are you sure it's active? Birds really only nest when they're breeding- once the chicks have fledged, they abandon the nest. It would be quite rare to be in the nest now!

... hence now should be fine to do tree work!

Well there are birds flying around it. Do blackbirds near in winter? I’m clueless !

Woodpigeons and collared doves will sometimes nest in winter, but other garden birds should have finished months ago.

The robins in our garden are nest building at the moment, I heard the male doing his mating call this morning and could see the female sitting answering him, he's busy with twigs rebuilding the nest in our shed.

I'd play safe and wait and see what is happening before getting anything done.

Blackbirds, along with rooks and a few other species are usually the earliest to start nestbuilding and laying clutches in February. As said, woodpigeons DO occasionally lay and incubate late into the year.

I think it safe to carry out your tree work now, unless you can see a large plarform of twigs which may be a woodpigeon's nest.

'platform of twigs' - proofread before posting, the golden rule😳

@sophandbridge

The robins in our garden are nest building at the moment, I heard the male doing his mating call this morning and could see the female sitting answering him, he's busy with twigs rebuilding the nest in our shed.

I'd play safe and wait and see what is happening before getting anything done.

This is very strange! Robins are occasionally recorded nest-building in January if it's a mild winter, but earlier than that would be pretty much unprecedented. Even courtship behaviour is rarely observed any earlier than late December.

Well there are birds flying around it. Do blackbirds near in winter? I’m clueless !

Blackbirds, and other birds will be sitting about the tree, eating the holly berries, maybe even roosting there at night but they wont be nesting.

So many children's books say that birds live in nests, but they really don't!

Do they not? They raise chicks in them, so where do they live the rest of the time?

They just 'roost' - garden birds go mostly in trees. Some find nooks and crannies.
Water birds often go out onto the water. Some birds gather on power lines.

Have you ever seen footage of starlings, loads of them wheeling about the sky? That's them going to bed. The falling light each evening signals it's bedtime.

That makes sense.

This is very strange! Robins are occasionally recorded nest-building in January if it's a mild winter, but earlier than that would be pretty much unprecedented. Even courtship behaviour is rarely observed any earlier than late December.

I know! I was extremely surprised to say the least and had a chat with somebody at the local wildlife trust who knows about birds, they sent me a recording of the courting call and it's the same. Either way they are happy because I spent the day in the garden clearing overgrown areas so they've been feasting on worms.