Nesting Birds Warning - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Nesting Birds Warning – “Disturbing nesting birds and damaging nests can devastate wild bird populations”, warns police Rural Engagement Officer.

Leigh On Sea News: esting Birds Warning – “Disturbing nesting birds and damaging nests can devastate wild bird populations”, warns police Rural Engagement Officer.

“Disturbing nesting birds and damaging nests can devastate wild bird populations”, warns police Rural Engagement Officer.

Nesting season is under way and as the weather starts to improve, Essex Police’s specialist Rural Engagement Team is reminding everyone that all wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected in law.

Not only is stealing birds’ eggs a crime, the nests themselves and nesting birds are also protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

“Much of the damage and disturbance is caused by people who aren’t aware that their actions can be illegal,” explained Sergeant Paul Brady.

“Disturbing nesting birds and damaging nests can cause parent birds to abandon their eggs or young, leaving them to die. This can devastate wild bird populations, which is why they are protected, with extra protections during the nesting season.

“Most birds nest between March and August, but some will nest outside these months, so if you are cutting hedges or pruning trees at any time of year, you must make sure there is not an active bird nest in the branches before you start work.”

Rural engagement officers receive up-to-date intelligence about wildlife crimes and support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).

While the theft of wild birds’ eggs in Essex is rare, they work together and also with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to ensure it stays that way.

Last November, a man was arrested in Benfleet on suspicion of possessing wild bird eggs illegally, after a warrant was executed. He has since been released under investigation. Thousands of wild birds’ eggs were also seized during the warrant. The force’s rural engagement officers were working in tandem with the NWCU, which co-ordinated a series of similar warrants across the country to tackle the illegal trade in these eggs.

Sergeant Brady said: “We want everyone now and in the future to be able to enjoy our countryside safely and that means protecting and preserving the animals, birds and plants which live there too.”

How can you help?

If you see anyone acting suspiciously around nesting birds or you have any information on egg and bird thieves, or dead birds of prey, you can report it online at www.essex.police.uk/ro. Alternatively, you can ring 101.

Provide as much information as you can – for example, a What3Words location, a description of the people involved, vehicle registration numbers, vehicle descriptions. However, it is very important that you don’t confront suspects or put yourself at risk.

Always ring 999 if it is an emergency or a crime in progress. You can also contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111. For more information and advice on wildlife crime, visit the Essex Police Wildlife Crime pages via: www.essex.police.uk/ruralcrime or: https://www.essex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wc/wildlife-crime/bird-crime

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