Spring and early summer mark one of the busiest times in nature – nesting season! Across our open spaces, birds are building nests, laying eggs, and raising their chicks. While it’s a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors and connect to nature, it’s also a critical period where small actions can make all the difference.
Here’s what you need to know, and how you can help protect your local wildlife this nesting season.
Wildlife and The Law
All wild birds, their nests, and their eggs are strictly protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
Under this Act, it is an offence to:
- Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.
- Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.
- Intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
- Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed under Schedule 1 (including species like barn owls and kingfishers) while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird.
As landowners, Meadfleet take steps to protect wildlife and comply with the law across our open spaces by:
- Avoid habitat management works during peak nesting season (typically March to September), unless essential and following ecological advice.
- Carry out site checks before any works take place to ensure no active nests are disturbed.
- Maintain and enhance habitats such as wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and native tree species to provide safe nesting opportunities.
If You Spot a Nest or Eggs
- Do not touch or interfere with the nest, even if it appears abandoned. Birds leave their nests for short periods to find food; the parents are likely to be nearby and will return to the nest when they feel safe to do so.
- Keep your distance. Disturbing a nesting bird can cause it to abandon its eggs or young.
- Report your concerns. If you are genuinely concerned for the safety of a nest, please contact our ecology team for guidance.
If You Find a Fledgling
It’s completely normal to see young birds (fledglings) out of the nest in spring and summer. They often spend a day or two hopping around while they build up strength to fly, with parents nearby continuing to feed them.
What to do:
- Leave it alone unless it’s in immediate danger (like in the middle of a road).
- If it’s in danger, gently move it a few feet to a safer nearby spot (e.g. under a hedge) but avoid prolonged handling.
- Observe from a distance as the parents are likely close by.
What not to do:
- Do not try to take it home or raise it yourself.
- Do not feed it – chicks have very specific diets and feeding needs that are best left to the parents.
Pets and Nesting Season
Open spaces are for everyone to enjoy, including our four-legged companions, but a little extra care during nesting season can go a long way in protecting local wildlife.
- When walking your dog stick to paths where you can – this helps minimise accidental disturbance to animals that may be nesting or sheltering in nearby undergrowth.
- Keep an eye out for wildlife underfoot – small mammals, insects, and ground-nesting birds could be hiding in longer vegetation.
- Keep free-roaming cats indoors during early morning and evening when birds are most active and vulnerable.
- Attach a bell or brightly coloured collar to your cat to help alert birds of their presence and reduce hunting success.
Why This Matters
Even small disturbances during nesting season can result in:
- Abandoned eggs or chicks.
- Increased stress on parent birds.
- Vulnerability to predators if a nest is exposed.
By taking a little extra care while enjoying your local green space, you’re helping protect the wildlife that make these areas so special.
About Meadfleet
Meadfleet are a leading sustainable land-adopting management company. We have in-house ecologists with expertise in the BNG metric and are already applying the principles of Biodiversity Net Gain across our existing open space portfolio in England and Wales. Established in 1995, Meadfleet manage over 330 developments and 42,000 residential properties in our portfolio, with a strong balance sheet.
Meadfleet offers management of Biodiversity Net Gain delivery both on a managed development and on offsite areas, either via customer contributions or commuted sums. Our adoption model relieves developers of ongoing liabilities and management costs.
The Meadfleet model removes onerous liabilities from homeowners yet still encourages their input and engagement into the management of their local environment. We are committed to providing an excellent service to residents as demonstrated by our Excellent rating on Trustpilot and are members of The Property Ombudsman Scheme (TPOS), offering customers free, independent redress should they feel it is required. We are happy to work with residents groups and positively encourage the creation of these on the developments we are involved with. We believe this opens an effective two-way dialogue between homeowners and ourselves.
As a land-adopting management company, Meadfleet take long-term responsibility of open space, building customer and community relations and implementing perpetual management and improvement plans. We take a holistic and independent approach to managing areas of open space for the benefit of all residents, biodiversity and the wider environment.