‘Dogs and birds don’t mix’ according to the latest campaign launched this week in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Dog owners visiting the area are asked to keep their pets on a lead to reduce the chances of disturbing ground nesting birds.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has produced a free, pocket-sized leaflet showing what birds visitors may see when out on the fells.
Called ‘Ground Nesting Birds – the Big Five in the Yorkshire Dales National Park’, the leaflet gives details about skylarks, lapwings, red grouse, oystercatchers and curlews, as well as advice on ways of minimising contact with them. It is available at National Park Centres, information points and as a download.
Five species of bird are commonly found within the park and the leaflet explains their appearance, their calls and their favourite habitats.
The Authority’s Ranger Services Manager, Alan Hulme, said: ” The opening up of huge areas of the National Park under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in 2005 has meant that people no longer had to stay on paths and could walk on open countryside”.