Warning to walkers as birds nest (BBC News) (1 Viewer)

Ramblers on the Isle of Man are being advised to tread warily to protect nesting birds.

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Ramblers are not the problem at the site indirectly referred to. Terns and wading birds lay their comoflaged eggs on the pebbly beach, and anyone out for a wander, with or without dogs, can easily disturb the birds and accidentally stand on eggs and young.

Not sure why Ramblers are being particularly targetted or indeed just this site - I've spent the past two months trying to warn people I meet, walking on beaches, river estuaries, forest habitat etc about groundnesters (some of which are Sched 1 sp) and potential disturbances from walking & dogs. Do they take any notice? Well not the ones Ive spoken to. It's not just the risk of actually treading on eggs, but increased risk of predation from Gulls, Corvids etc if birds are flushed (even for a few minutes) by walkers/ramblers/dogs. Pagham in particular has tern colonies, ringed plover nesting sites etc, all of which are cordoned off, but none of which solely confine nest locations.

I agree that it's not just ramblers or the IOM. The New Forest is just the same and all too often we see people drive into the car parks and let dogs charge straight out and onto the heathlands, not a lead in sight. Then they and the dogs trample all over the areas, despite the warning notices! They seem to think they have the right to take their dogs anywhere they choose. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's the only reason a lot of them visit Forests or any such place for because after their walks they're off back in the cars, homeward bound no doubt.

I wonder just how many leave trails of disruption behind them and just how many nests are ruined as a result of them not caring. Deborah's right, they just don't take any notice if you bring their attention to the fact of breeding Birds being there.

Sue.

Aye, careless birdwatchers are just as able to trample eggs as ramblers. Sound advice, though, and I think it's the media using the term "rambler" to mean anyone who walks about a bit.

NaturePete said:

I think it's the media using the term "rambler" to mean anyone who walks about a bit.

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I suppose that it is the same slack sort of media reporting that describes all bird(watch)ers as "twitchers"!

Very true Pete and Allen!

It really bugs me when some folk automatically think all Birders are twitchers. Sometimes they don't even know what twitching means!

Sue.