Don't scare off the water birds (From Worcester News)

Don't scare off the water birds

12:44pm Monday 12th January 2009 in

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FOR the first time in more than a decade, conservationists are calling on birdwatchers, walkers and anglers in Worcestershire to minimise the disturbance of water birds.

With more than a week of freezing weather throughout the country, people are being asked to not disturb ducks, geese, swans and wading birds on lakes and rivers.

The RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Natural England are all urging the public to help nature at this time. Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director, said: “During freezing conditions disturbance forces the birds to squander their precious energy reserves by taking flight when they need to spend as much time as possible feeding.

“Although we haven’t made this appeal since 1997, we hope everyone who uses the countryside will heed our advice, allowing the millions of birds which visit the UK’s coasts and wetlands during the winter to stand a better chance of survival,” he said.

If the severe weather continues for 14 days in succession the shooting of some species of duck, geese, and wading bird can be suspended for a fortnight to help the birds recover. The last time such a ban was imposed was in 1997.

The birds affected include ducks – including wigeon and pintail – and wading birds, such as godwits, dunlin and knot.

These birds nest either further north or east in Europe and the Arctic.

During the winter the birds visit the UK to escape harsher conditions further north.

Dr Andre Farrar, the RSPB’s protected area campaigner, explained: “Even at a time when our climate is warming, we can still expect freezing conditions, but less frequently.”