Bird watching hide closed following wildlife photographer's caution
Last month after visiting Nel’s Hide at Marshside I wrote to the RSPB with a plea to close the hide due to nesting swallows that were being distressed by inquisitive people.
I told the RSPB the following:
“I wish to highlight nesting swallows within the roof at Nel's Hide that are being disturbed by curious visitors. This is inside the hide, not outside it. I believe the RSBP should close this hide until the birds have left it. The hide's windows seem to have been removed and the swallows have capitalised here.”
The RSPB wrote back claiming that they 'understood' my concern for the swallows nesting in the hide. However, initially, they seemed to misunderstand as they thought I was talking about birds nesting alongside human activity. They said:”
…they are known to nest in areas alongside a lot of human activity as they become accustomed to the disturbance…”
What I was urgently trying to get them to understand was that these nesting swallows were INSIDE the hide. People were virtually touching the nests in the room itself. Parent birds were desperately trying to reach their chicks in the nests but people were walking around the hide and this was naturally panicking the birds.
Nevertheless, the assistant told me that she would "pass on" my comments to the team who work on the site and log my enquiry.
Again, not quite understanding my concerns the assistant said – “ I suspect it is a nest site that the swallows return to every year alongside the presence of humans.”
It was not alongside but sharing the same inside space. The swallows I initially witnessed in there was visibly distressed at having humans peering at their nests, inside the open hide. I warned one chap to not disturb the parent bids yet his response was to take flash photos of the nest, which just distressed the birds even more.
WIN: The penny finally dropped...
However, although no one actually told me via email etc, this afternoon (29 July 2019) I noticed that the hide was now closed, according to a sign at the corner of Marshside Road opposite the Sand works site and this was a relief, as at last someone had finally got the message.
Maybe next season the RSPB will think twice before leaving hides without windows and wide open to both humans and nesting birds.
All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions, to:
Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.
Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.
Intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
Have in one's possession or control any wild bird, dead or alive, or any part of a wild bird, which has been taken in contravention of the Act or the Protection of Birds Act 1954.
Have in one's possession or control any egg or part of an egg which has been taken in contravention of the Act or the Protection of Birds Act 1954.
Use traps or similar items to kill, injure or take wild birds.
Have in one's possession or control any bird of a species occurring on Schedule 4 of the Act unless registered, and in most cases ringed, in accordance with the Secretary of State's regulations (see Schedules).
Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird.
Fines
Penalties that can be imposed for criminal offences in respect of a single bird, nest or egg contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an unlimited fine, up to six months imprisonment or both.
No comments:
Post a Comment