A city employee’s actions on Friday morning ruffled the feathers of workers at a downtown Lawrence business. And it’s all over a bird’s nest.

The city parks and recreation worker was pruning a city tree outside Callahan Creek, 805 N.H., when he chopped off a branch containing a robin’s nest.

“To our horror, we stood there and watched him lop off this big limb that was housing this nest,” said Jackie Bunnell, an employee of the business and president of the Lawrence Humane Society board. “It kind of shocked me because it was very obvious that this nest was there.”

Ernie Shaw, parks and recreation interim director, had a different view.

“He didn’t notice the nest until he actually cut the limb down,” Shaw said of his employee. “The nest had no birds or eggs or anything like that in it.”

Bunnell said she doesn’t know what was in the nest, but said a robin was sitting in it, leading her to believe it had been occupied.

Robins are considered a migratory bird, and therefore the species and its nests are covered under the federal Migratory Bird Treat Act, which provides protection for migratory birds.

But Faye McNew, Kansas Wildlife and Parks migratory game bird coordinator, said prosecution typically isn’t pursued if it’s after breeding season and the nest isn’t going to be reused.

Bunnell said she’s informed city and wildlife officials about her concerns.