Appeal for dog owners to obey bird site ban
Getty ImagesWildlife chiefs overseeing one of a county's few coastal spots where ground-nesting birds have success fledging their young have called on dog walkers to obey a ban.
South Walney Nature Reserve at Walney Island, Barrow, is home to a number of species including little terns, oystercatchers and lapwings.
The site, classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area, does not allow people on its beach due to the risk of bird eggs being damaged.
Assistant warden Rebekah Watts said it was "quite difficult to get the message across" and said a visitor with a pet had recently smashed a wooden sign when challenged.
The 130-hectare (321-acre) reserve is also home to Cumbria's only grey seal colony, with more than 500 of the mammals found on the shingle beaches.
"It is a beautiful part of the coast so I can understand people want to be able to walk," Watts said.
"But I think they just don't understand that even though their dog might be friendly and well-trained, it's still potentially a problem whether or not it's on a lead."
Man 'flew into a rage'
She said the birds perceived dogs as a threat so would try and deter them from coming near their nests, "just as they would with a fox".
"If they're sat on eggs or chicks, some species like large gulls will swoop or chase the dog out of the area, others will feign an injury and get quite loud to lead them away from the site," Watts said.
"It's an amazing technique, but it expends a lot of the bird's energy and they maybe then don't have enough left to feed themselves or their chicks.
"You also get other types of birds that will sneak in and take from the nest because they can see the adults are occupied."
Describing the incident last week, Watts said a man "flew into a rage" when she approached him on the beach.
"I calmly said 'maybe you missed the sign' and he broke the sign in front of me. I think he was trying to intimidate me.
"The rules are in place for a reason, and it's good for people to be mindful of sharing outdoor spaces with wildlife."
