The use of netting to stop birds from nesting in a hedge or tree (as in this instance from Powys in spring 2021) has become more common in recent years. This is because while the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to damage a nest while it is in use (or damage or destroy the eggs inside of it), there is no offence in law of preventing a bird from entering a potential nest site or preventing nesting in the first place. This means that if developers can prevent birds from starting to build nests they can avoid costly delays to removing hedges or trees, inconvenience, ecological surveys, and potentially a fine for breaking the law. It is of course an offence to catch a wild bird in a net, though, or to damage an egg or nest once it’s being built – anyone seeing a bird trapped in netting should contact the developers and the police immediately.   In 2019 the RSPB offered the following advice and best practice guidelines: Think about whether it is really necessary to remove the hedges and trees that are vital for supporting our wildlife; Netting should not be the easy alternative. If the work is absolutely necessary, then the use of netting could be avoided by tree and hedge removal being completed outside of the nesting season; It is essential developers work with a trained ecologist to ensure appropriate netting is used and is not the type that will catch and hold birds and other wildlife; It is also essential that a trained ecologist ensures the correct netting is fitted in a way that wildlife cannot get through or behind the netting and then become trapped; It is essential that netting is checked at least once a day (but ideally three times) by a trained ecologist to ensure that no wildlife is caught or that the netting has become defective. If any wildlife is seen to be caught within or trapped behind netting they must be freed immediately and the netting fixed or removed; If anyone perceives that the user is aware that wildlife is being caught but has not remedied the situation, then the Police Wildlife Crime Officer should be informed.   So, netting hedges and trees to stop birds nesting is legal, yes – but (especially as many hedge-nesting birds are in serious decline) in our opinion netting hedges or trees to prevent birds nesting is utterly immoral and indefensible.