The results of the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch has shown a worrying decrease in the numbers of some species of bird (The Argus, March 27).

The problem is home owners and councils cutting down hedges and trees to make way for "low maintenance gardens". Hedge cutting around parks and other green areas also seems to take place at the wrong time of year.

It is illegal to knowingly cut down hedges or trees if there are nesting birds in them. The hard part is proving that whoever cuts them down knows there are birds nesting.

Birds start to nest from February through to May. If people plan to remove or severely cut back trees and hedges, they should do it out of the nesting season.

People in my road, a few doors down, stripped out a 30ft long privet hedge. This was home to blackbirds, sparrows, thrushes, robins and blue tits. Since then, we haven't seen the thrushes or as many of the blackbirds and the sparrows have been squabbling over the remaining surrounding bushes.

  • Clive Wingrave, Cowfold Road, Brighton