Disturbance of Wildlife and Habitats
Photo credit Keith Hiscock
The presence of people, dogs, watercraft, and even drones, can be upsetting or threatening to birds and other wildlife. They can be easily disturbed by noise, or by getting too close – even if you’re being quiet. Physical disturbance can also be caused to vital habitats, through anchoring, trampling or creating excessive wake. But there are simple things we can do to reduce disturbance – and we get to enjoy more by disturbing less.
Birds
When people, dogs or vessels are too close or noisy, birds sense danger and stop feeding. Even if you stay quiet, visual disturbance can have the same effect. If disturbed, birds may leave their feeding or resting area, losing valuable feeding time and wasting energy. If they are disturbed often, they can stop visiting the area completely and some might be unable to find enough food elsewhere. Birds may not survive the winter or make their migratory journey back to their summer breeding grounds if they cannot get sufficient food and rest.
How do I know?
Birds have a lots of ways of letting you know if you have gotten too close or they are uncomfortable or scared. If you see any of these changes in behaviour you might be too close.
- increased movement - lifting up their heads, bobbing up and down, stretching or flapping wings
- looking in your direction
- more vocalisation - calling out
- walking, swimming or flying away
What you can do

- Look out for birds in the area or signs letting you know
- Don't approach rafting birds - where there is a group in the water
- If bird watching don't get too close, use binoculars and long camera lenses
- Plan your route, if you know there are roosting, breeding or feeding sites near by avoid entering and exiting at these points
- Keep noise to a minimum - loud music, shouting, flapping sails, slapping paddles and revving engines can scare birds especially roosting ones.
- Avoid sudden movements like changes in direction - move away slowly.
- Keep dogs on leads in areas where coastal birds are present
- Avoid high speeds or creating large wakes if on motorised vessel or personal water craft.
Marine Wildlife
Disturbance can cause wildlife to alter their usual feeding patterns and behaviour, waste valuable energy trying to escape a perceived threat or cause them to avoid areas altogether. Larger marine animals can be injured by propellers and collision with vessels. With some species injuring themselves in a rush to get away and can also result in the their young being abandoned.
They are also sometimes quite curious about us with some species such as seals and dolphins approaching boats, paddle craft and swimmers. While it can seem like an incredible encounter we should do our best to move away from them and give them space.
Marine Mammals - What you can do

- Be aware and respect the animals and their behaviour
- If wildlife watching, don't get too close - use binoculars for a better view
- DON'T approach, chase, follow or overcrowd wildlife -it can cause panic
- Keep noise to a minimum
- Avoid sudden movements, move steadily and predictable to avoid startling them
- Give them space if they are rafting up or resting on land
- Avoid high speeds and collision risk and don't turn your propeller towards the animal
- Marine mammals shouldn't be touched
- Keep dogs on leads in areas where animals such as seals are hauled out/resting on land.
Rockpooling - What you can do
- Handle all wildlife with care, if you pick anything up be gentle
- Avoid using nets - these can damage the rockpools and the animals - your hands or a small tub is better
- If you lift any rocks, place them back carefully the way you found them.
- You can put animals and algae in a clear tub or bucket if you want to have a closer look
- Make sure there is enough seawater in the tub or bucket, trying not to put too much together or keeping them too long
- Put animals back in the same place you found them
- Avoid chasing the animals to catch them, this can cause panic
- Avoid high speeds and collision risk and don't turn your propeller towards the animal
- Be careful where you walk - avoid treading in rockpools and other fragile habitats
- Take photographs and not animals
Habitats
There are a number of protected habitats around the MPA that provide vital feeding and spawning (breeding) grounds for marine life and wading birds. They also perform important ecosystem functions, such as removing CO2 from the atmosphere and providing natural flood defences. But these habitats are vulnerable to the impacts of human activity around the MPA.
Anchoring can devastate seagrass beds, creating scour (where the chain from the anchor drags along the seabed damaging seagrass) and dragging up the seabed with the anchor. Intertidal mudflats and sandflats (that are not underwater at low tide) are rich feeding grounds for wading birds, but can be damaged by trampling or bait collecting, as well as being affected by excessive wake from passing boats.
What you can do

- Avoid anchoring in seagrass
- Be aware of the tides and avoid running aground
- Avoid dragging craft or kit in shallow water or across intertidal zone - use slipways were possible
- Avoid extreme speeds or creating large wakes
- Avoid walking or running at the coast where it is low tide and seagrass or salt march might be present
- if bait digging, avoid digging in or near intertidal seagrass beds and fill in any holes dug
- Plan your route, entrance and exit - avoid sensitive areas where possible - find them on the map and water user guides
- Pick up after yourself and your dog, use bins and don't leave waste behind
- If on a boat use pumping out facilities at marinas so as not pumping out waste in bays and into the marine environment.
Respecting and enjoying our marine environment in a sustainable and nature aware way ensures that it stays healthy and biodiverse you can find out about more work that has been carried out to protect particular species and habitats and how to be 'WiSe' when it comes to marine wildlife disturbance.
Find out more about minimising wildlife disturbance and training for operators and the public with the WiSe Scheme (www.wisescheme.org). and how to protect our seagrass beds at Save our Seabed (www.saveourseabed.co.uk
.