PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Although this might seem like the perfect time to trim your trees, shrubs and tidy up the yard, wildlife experts say it’s definitely not.

“This is the worst time of year for that, this is the time when birds are nesting,” said Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic Director Rick Schubert. “Cutting a tree down, you’re gonna be orphaning a lot of baby birds.”

He says squirrels and raccoons also nest in trees this time of year.

“So the best thing to do, if at all possible, is to wait till the wintertime to take a tree down,” Schubert said.

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Overgrown grass or weeds might conceal a rabbit’s nest, and Schubert says if you have to weed whack.

“Do a little recon first, and then, go slowly,” he said

But ideally, “I recommend leaving a small section of your yard with high weeds, so you can give the animals a place to be,” he said.

Schubert says if you find a fawn, or a rabbit nest in your yard, leave it alone — what looks like neglect to humans is standard wildlife childcare.

“They stay away all day long. They only come back briefly at night to nurse them, then they leave them hidden and protected all day long,” he said. “The best thing you can do is walk away and forget they’re even there, and let the mom come back in peace without being scrutinized.”

For more information you can visit the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic’s website.