Saturday, 5pm - CONCERNED nature lovers contacted the Journal this week after a bird's nest was moved from the River Witham near Grantham House by National Trust workers.
Contractors had been brought in on Tuesday to cut down a tree that threatened the health and safety of pedestrians but in carrying out their work they moved a nest with five eggs inside belonging to a moorhen.
A walker passing by, who did not want to be named, was horrified to see the nest moved.
She said: "My four-year-old and her toddler friends have been watching the moorhen with great interest every day for the last two or three weeks whilst she built her nest very carefully and then laid her eggs and they were really looking forward to seeing the baby chicks in the future. Now it has been destroyed."
A spokesman for the RSPB confirmed it is illegal for anyone to move a wild bird's nest without special permission under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Rudi Fabian, estate manager at Grantham House contacted the Journal to explain the situation.
He said: "The contractor's men moved the nest without consulting us. Of course, the men should have consulted, however it had happened before we became aware.
"We believe that they honestly thought they were acting for the best, moving the eggs out of harm's way as large logs of timber were likely to fall on them."
The nest was returned to its original spot later in the day.
Mr Fabian said: "I'm delighted to say that the moorhen's nest was returned to its original position on a pile of debris in the middle of the river yesterday before 4pm.
"On Wednesday morning I saw her sitting on the nest before she moved off onto the river, but she's back there again now doing what mother moorhens do best."
Were the contractors right to move the nest?
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