Overview
- The RSPB issued fresh regional appeals on Thursday across Lancashire, Wiltshire and Devon to protect birds that nest on the ground.
- Visitors are asked to stay on marked paths, keep dogs under close control and keep at least 100 metres from any nesting activity.
- Even brief disturbance can drive adults off nests, leaving eggs to chill or chicks exposed to predators and starvation.
- Paddlers and wild swimmers in Devon are urged to keep a steady course and limit viewing time to reduce disruption to feeding and breeding.
- More than half of England’s most threatened breeding birds nest on or near the ground, including curlew, nightjar, lapwing, skylark and little tern.