Tall tree with a full spreading crown of leaves and a climber in a hi-vis jacket sitting on a branch in the middle of it, with a dark clump of twigs high in the top that looks like a bird's nest, and a pine tree and a roof edge at the bottom — Climber working high in a tall tree with its crown still full of leaves

Tall tree trunk stripped of most of its branches, standing above neighbouring trees with two bare forks at the top and a climber on ropes near the top under a grey sky — The same tree after most of its branches have come off, leaving the trunk and two forks

Tall bare tree trunk with two forked tops and a climber in a hi-vis jacket on ropes near the top, with a dark green conifer behind it and wooden fence panels at the bottom left — Climber near the top of the trunk, with ropes hanging down beside a fence

Climber in a hi-vis jacket and orange trousers on a leaning cut section of trunk beside the bare upper trunk, with a large cut log on the ground, a pile of wood chip and an orange container at the bottom right, and brick houses behind the fence — Climber on a cut section of trunk, with a large log and a pile of wood chip on the ground

This Sparkhill job was a tall tree in a back garden that had to be taken down in stages. The four photos follow it from a full crown of leaves, through a stripped trunk with two forks at the top, to a climber working lower down with a large log already on the ground.

Starting with a full crown

The first photo shows the tree before most of the cutting, with a climber in a hi-vis jacket sitting on a branch in the middle of the crown. High in the top there is a dark clump of twigs that looks like a bird’s nest, which is worth checking for before any tree is cut, because nesting birds are protected in the UK.

Taking it down from the top

In the second and third photos most of the branches are gone, leaving a tall trunk with two bare forks at the top and the climber still working near the summit on ropes. A tree like this cannot be pushed over when it stands among other trees, fences and houses, so the climber works down from the top and cuts it in sections.

Down to the stump end

In the last photo the climber stands on a leaning cut section of trunk lower down, with the bare upper trunk beside him. On the ground are a large cut log, a pile of wood chip and an orange container, and the backs of brick houses can be seen over the fence, so the pieces had to be brought down carefully into a space with little room to spare.

If you have a tree to take down

Before a tree is felled it is worth checking whether it is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area, and who owns it. If you have a tree in Sparkhill that has grown too big or too close to the house, see our tree felling service in Sparkhill or send photos on WhatsApp for a free quote.