Birders and dog owners: can they ever co-exist?

Dog walking is one of the most popular activities among residents and visitors to the North Norfolk Coast area. Whether it is beach, footpaths across farmland or wooded areas, the chance for dogs to bound freely off their leads is a sight to set the hearts of dog owners singing.

Unfortunately, the beaches and shorelines the exuberant dogs are running across is also the nesting ground for skylarks, nightjars, meadow pipits, curlews and a host of other birds, whose very existence is in danger. Dogs running through the grasses on the dunes or farm margins can unwittingly trample eggs and scare adult birds off nests to leave chicks vulnerable.

With many bird species facing extinction due to the threat of rising tides, prolonged droughts, increased wildfires, predation by badgers, hedgehogs, foxes and raptors, the added disturbance of humans and their canine friends is one more factor in a tragic fight for survival.

It is a situation that has led to some conflicts and protests. Many bird enthusiasts are shocked and dismayed at the willingness of some dog owners to let their dogs roam freely across nesting grounds. Many responsible dog owners have encountered antagonistic reactions from bird watchers, even when their dog is safely on a lead.

One person who has lived on both sides of the divide is keen ornithologist and relatively new dog owner Melanie Chowns. In her own words, this is her experience.

‘Owning a dog and discovering the absolute beauty of the Norfolk coast are two fairly recent joys that have come into my life. Retirement and lockdown brought about the arrival of Finley, my Springer spaniel and my lifelong passion for birdwatching led to the discovery of the seasonal delights of Snettisham and beyond. My brother and I grew up watching the plentiful birds in our garden and, as we headed into our teenage years, we ventured further to local woods and reservoirs. Holidays in Scotland opened up a whole new world of seabirds, waders and migrants. By the time we reached middle age we still had a love of birds that now included an annual “pilgrimage” to RSPB Minsmere in May to see 100 species in a week and hear the nightingales sing. Getting a dog was a lifelong dream but I didn’t want it to totally change my way of birdwatching, so Finley had to become what we called “an ornithologist’s dog” and learn to sit patiently as I viewed a bullfinch in the woods or a tern on the River Thames. Of course, he is a dog, so he will chase the pigeons from our garden