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It's spring and migrant birds are starting to arrive in the UK to breed. Hedgerows, trees and even sandbanks are being netted by developers to prevent the birds nesting and therefore allowing building work to commence. I don't know about you, but I find it abhorrent.
Quite sad really.
Presumably if building work is about to commence then the birds would be disturbed anyway. Or if it had commenced prior to the breeding season the bird would have no nesting sites.
The real blame here is the ongoing fast rise in the UK population. The number of new homes and infrastructure being built year on year throughout the UK is simply staggering and the green spaces in and around villages, towns, and cities are being continually encroached.
The netting is put up to prevent birds from building nests, at which point building work would have to stop.
It serves a logical purpose - not exactly 'mad'. Less development would mean less nets. Law to stop nets would mean sesaonal development - no change in net loss of habitat.
And as for nets to keep out bats - I'm guessing the legal situation with dealing with them makes that a common sense precaution as well.
It's like people are unable to comprehend why it's done.A horrendous situation.
Great that you have been able to photograph it. These pictures need to be shared far and wide.
Are you proposing road widening and other projects are only done from October to February
A horrendous situation.
Great that you have been able to photograph it. These pictures need to be shared far and wide.
It's spring and migrant birds are starting to arrive in the UK to breed. Hedgerows, trees and even sandbanks are being netted by developers to prevent the birds nesting and therefore allowing building work to commence. I don't know about you, but I find it abhorrent.
They are not my shots, but like you I was shocked by it.
The developers are side-stepping laws that were designed to protect wildlife. They weren't designed to make it easier for developers.
Quote from above link:From the Guardian.......
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...op-birds-nesting-before-housebuilding-rebuked
Probably end up in land fill after.1.3km of netting !!! That is ridiculous.
Can't comment on this particular net, but environmental consultants, who are generally employed to do this sort of work, are obviously very environmentally aware, and it would be reasonable to assume the net would be biodegradable or have a recycling plan.Probably end up in land fill after.
Was that about work only allowed in winter, what gain would there be from one more year of possible nesting by a small number of birds.Would it be beyond the " fabulous, wonderful and limtless" abilities of man???
Probably so, as when it comes to life on this planet, he/she is the dumbest of all !!
Probably end up in land fill after.
Can't comment on this particular net, but environmental consultants, who are generally employed to do this sort of work, are obviously very environmentally aware, and it would be reasonable to assume the net would be biodegradable or have a recycling plan.
Having said that, after reading some of the background to the story, I do wonder to what extent environmental/ecological consultants were involved.
The problem is that artificial landscaping, no matter how environmentally conscious, will take considerable time to be able to support the same diversity of wildlife as the previous habitat. The wildlife that previously lived there will suffer before it can recover. There's more harm than goodWas that about work only allowed in winter, what gain would there be from one more year of possible nesting by a small number of birds.
Most new developments have significant landscaping and replanting, in many cases that could be better for wildlife than some battered old roadside hedge drenched in dirty road salt.
Yes, indeed it is the developers who "do" pay the bill for doing things like this.You'd think so but who pays the bills? The developers.
The wildlife that previously lived there will suffer before it can recover. There's more harm than good
But what do you do?
People need houses to live in, roads to get to work on, hospitals when they get ill, sea defences to stop villages being washed away, windfarms for green energy etc etc. I'm not sure how we survive with no development, and you can't have development without some disruption, damage and risk to the environment, so what we need is responsible/sustainable development, where we carefully balance the needs and risk to the economy, society and the environment.
They could cut all the hedges and trees down months in advance, rather than net them if you liked?Birds do not breed all year round, the breeding season should be a 'no-go' time for this sort of disruption.
Birds do not breed all year round, the breeding season should be a 'no-go' time for this sort of disruption.
They could cut all the hedges and trees down months in advance, rather than net them if you liked?
The only reason this has suddenly become a cause celebre is the sites tend to be in high profile locations near roads and other busy places - where few self respecting birds will nest anyway.
Birds do not breed all year round, the breeding season should be a 'no-go' time for this sort of disruption.
There's no need to worry though.
When certain species become practically extinct, man, again with his infallable abliities, can breed them in captivity and yet again feel "sad" about what has / is happening to our beautiful planet and natures gifts ( Not that we deserve any one of them imo!)
Social media also plays its part too. A photo can be shared much quicker than in the past. Certain things now go viral and people get outraged without really understanding what is actually going on. Lots of people get outraged but never actually do anything other than typing on a keyboard because someone else will sort it.They could cut all the hedges and trees down months in advance, rather than net them if you liked?
The only reason this has suddenly become a cause celebre is the sites tend to be in high profile locations near roads and other busy places - where few self respecting birds will nest anyway.
No the hedges and trees should be retained unless it is proven that it is essential rather than convenient that they be moved.
That's exactly what happens, at least on every project I have worked on over the last 30 years. We would debate the need for every single bit of habitat loss with our clients, and then debate them again with the statutory conservation and non-statutory conservation bodies to agree the choices.
But this action of netting areas is clearly circumventing that 'debate' ... stop them nesting so no nesting bird problem and who cares if the species disappears as long as the 'client' is satisfied. We ignore the welfare of wildlife at our peril.