Norfolk Wildlife Trust is consulting over whether dogs should be kept on leads between March and August on a beach where rare birds breed. It is also proposing to ban them altogether from a small, remote section of Holme Beach where migrating waders shelter in the winter. Chris Bishop reports.
Warden's view
Izzy Williamson, reserve engagement warden at Holme, scans the beach and dunes with her binoculars.
"We've got little terns, ringed plover and oyster catchers nesting," she said. "It's not just the nests. The chicks will go out on the shore, having dogs running around, they're going to get picked off."
Miss Williamson chats to dog walkers about the proposals, stressing the trust does not want to ban dogs altogether from most of the beach. Its goal is to protect ground-nesting birds, like the ringed plover sitting on the sands protected by a cage and a rope cordon.
But dogs will be banned from the eastern-most tip along the Thornham harbour creek.
"Over-wintering birds need somewhere to settle," Miss Williamson said. "If they're disturbed 10 times, they go into calorie deficit.
"We can get 40,000 knot here, these are big numbers, these are important grounds for these birds. Some of them come in from the sea and they collapse, they're so tired."
It would be torment for him
Visitors Graeme and Jill Hepburn, from Stamford, were playing in the sea with their two-year-old Labrador Brodie.
Mr Hepburn said if dogs had to be kept on leads between March and August, they would probably stay away while the ruling was in force.
"As soon as we get down here all he's interested in is the sea," said Mr Hepburn. "We'll probably wait until after August, there's no point if he can't go swimming in the sea, it would be torment for him. We couldn't bring him to the beach and not let him swim."
Responsible owners agree
James and Alison Scoles had come up from Swaffham to walk German shepherds Jake, 10 and Cassie, aged two.
"If you're a responsible dog owner it's not a problem," said Mr Scoles. "We tend to come mostly in the winter anyway to be honest.
"In the summer it's too hot and there are too many people about."
We keep our dogs on a lead
Visitors John and Alison Berry, from Sheffield, were in favour of the proposals.
"We've come up for fish and chips and a walk on the beach," said Mr Berry. "We always have ours on a lead, we never like them running around disturbing things.
"I'm all for it, I think keeping dogs on leads is a good thing."
We still welcome dogs
Jonathan Preston, nature conservation manager for Norfolk Wildlife Trust,, said: “We welcome responsible dog visits to the beaches at Holme. We recognise the benefits that dog ownership can bring people such as companionship and a reason to get out and exercise.
“Dog walking is a popular activity at Holme. In surveys undertaken by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, 43pc of visitors did so to walk their dogs on the beach. Dog ownership has increased in recent years, so it is reasonable to expect an increase in dog use of the site in the future.
“We’d like to work together with our visitors to ensure a balance between recreational use of the site and protecting the important wildlife that makes a home here and welcome your feedback on our plans to change access for dogs at Holme.
“We are pleased to have received nearly 1,000 responses to our survey in recent weeks. If you would like to find out more and take part in the consultation, please visit our website.”
To take part in the survey, go to norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk.
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