Nesting birds and pruning

[Frequency]

I think there might be a nest in a shrub in my front garden. I keep seeing two small brown birds fly in and out and it's making a lot of chirping noises.

The shrub needs pruning. I was in the process of cutting back all of the hedges and this is the last one remaining. Obviously, I cannot and wouldn't cut it down as planned now the birds have moved in but can I quietly and carefully trim some of the outer branches so they are not overhanging the garden path?

I wouldn't bother at all but my neighbour makes constant complaints about my garden (and dogs, and kids, and wild birds making noises...)

Well under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is an offence to destroy vegetation between 1 March and 31 August each year. There is an obligation on owners to ensure that nesting birds are not disturbed by hedge cutting activities.

I've taken off the odd sticky-out branch in the past, if it was catching on people walking past or in danger of taking somebody's eye out. But only if I could do it very quickly (in seconds) and not have to go into the body of the shrub at all.
If none of that applies then I would just give an apologetic smile and say you'll do it when nesting season is over.
This is a sore subject with me today, because my neighbour got some clown in to trim their garden and he leaned over and butchered the ivy that was growing up my side of the fence, where there have been robins nesting 😡
We'll have to cut it all back now because it's dangling unsupported. The robins have fledged already, but Grrrrrr!

Leave it, they'll fledge very shortly.

Thanks.

I'll leave it alone and refer the LL to the appropriate law if he tells me the neighbour has complained again.

It's not really at eye-poking levels yet and no-one uses the garden path anyway. Everyone cuts across the grass.