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| Carpets of ground plants such as dog's mercury will provide cover for ground-nesting birds. |
Press Release:
Last year, the first
nightingale arrived at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve on April 6th when
spring was already well under way. Spring is springing a bit slower this year
but other summer migrant birds are already singing. Our resident robins, blue
tits, rooks and doves are on nests, high in the trees, but the most of the
summer birds will nest on or very near the ground. This makes them more
vulnerable to disturbance from people as well as dogs.
Jim Stevenson,
Huntingdonshire District Council’s Senior Ranger at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve
said,
“Every year at this time we
put up notices to ask people to stay on the paths and to keep dogs under close
control; it has never worked. This year we have the drought as well, which
means that ground cover is especially thin and there will be a shortage of
insects too. It’s important to give the birds and mammals a bit of space”.
From Easter to the end of
July, everyone including birdwatchers, photographers and dog owners is being
asked to stay strictly on the paths. In the most sensitive and busy stretches
of path dog owners are requested to keep their dogs on leads. Dogs will still
be allowed off the lead but under control on the Ouse Valley Way and on the
tarmac road that leads to the quarry, as well as on the many paths to the east
that do not form part of the Nature Reserve. Maps and signs will be posted to
make it clear where dogs can be let loose.
“The primary purpose of a
nature reserve is to produce an abundance of wildlife in order to re-colonise
the countryside nearby. We try to balance the needs of visitors with that goal,
but it’s a fact that increased disturbance during the nesting season is an
inhibiting factor, even in woodland. It’s worse in grassland. That’s why we
need your help.”
