As of: February 21, 2024, 7:00 p.m
By: Hanna von Prittwitz
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That's where part of the tribe falls: Stefan Sanktjohanser during work on Inninger Straße in Hechendorf.
Six beeches had to be felled.
© Hanna von Prittwitz
The municipality of Seefeld has had six old beech trees felled in Hechendorf.
The trees, which were up to 25 meters high, were in poor condition - probably also because rooks were breeding in them and their droppings were damaging the trees.
Because the rook is protected, the government of Upper Bavaria had to approve the felling.
Hechendorf
– There has been a rook colony in Hechendorf for many years.
It is the second largest after the colony in Gilching with 136 breeding pairs (2023), in Gilching there are 427. Most of the nests are in Hechendorf at the S-Bahn station and at the community's temporary parking lot below the TSV gym on Inninger Straße.
However, the parking lot could no longer be used because some of the trees inhabited by the crows appeared to be diseased.
“We therefore had them inspected by an expert, which confirmed the impression that they were seriously damaged,” said Christoph Drewes from the building authority in Seefeld yesterday.
This week, the government of Upper Bavaria gave permission to fell a total of six beech trees that contained up to twelve crow's nests last season.
An exception because the rook is protected.
The community had to quickly hire a horticultural company for the project because the felling notice was limited to February 28th.
The task was carried out by the company Sanktjohanser, which also carried out the assessment and is responsible, for example, for maintaining the Lindenallee.
“People always think we like it. But these are trees that are up to 100 years old, and I don’t like doing that,” said Stefan Sanktjohanser.
Horticulture company examined trees with a drone
His employee Carsten Buth had previously searched the trees with a drone.
Anyone who falls under these circumstances, i.e. old beech trees with nests of protected rooks, does so under special conditions.
This includes checking the nests beforehand.
“Luckily there was nothing in there yet, the crows haven’t started yet,” says Buth.
He also used the drone to examine the cavities in the trees.
None.
“If there had been something there, we would have had to leave the logs standing,” says Buth.
There are many nests of rooks high in the trees.
© Markus Scholz
The trees were rotten and dead from top to bottom, explained Drewes.
This could already be seen from the ground due to the splayed bark and dead wood.
A possible reason for this is the sharp droppings of the crows, which have been breeding in the trees for many years.
“The droppings are corrosive, the problem is also known from large cormorant colonies,” says Drewes.
Rooks are under protection
The rook was placed under protection in 1977 and the population has been recovering since then.
However, because the rook continued to be frequently disturbed and persecuted in the fields, it is increasingly settling in the immediate vicinity of humans.
It's not exactly popular there either: "It's been two or three months that it's been really loud here," says Drewes.
However, deterrence measures, such as the recent one at the cemetery near St. Vitus in Gilching, usually only led to the colonies moving.
This is not to be feared in Hechendorf.
“I assume that they will redistribute themselves here and not form a splinter colony.
You will find other old beech trees on this site that are tall enough.”
Rooks breed in colonies and form lifelong partnerships.
© Rolf Haid
A tree protection ordinance applies in the municipality of Seefeld.
Sick trees may be cut down, but the community will replace them by planting six sweet chestnuts with a trunk circumference of 16 to 18 centimeters.
Sweet chestnuts are considered a so-called climate tree.
They are heat-resistant and not as susceptible to sunburn as beech.
“We’ll try this out.”
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Drewes is happy that the felling was done in time.
Because this weekend, TSV Oberalting is holding its traditional youth indoor tournament in the gym in Hechendorf.
“Now the parking lot can be used safely.” No rooks were seen at yesterday's event.
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Starnberg newsletter.
You can find even more current news from the Starnberg district at Merkur.de/Starnberg.