LOCKDOWN DAY 60 – COVID-19

DO NOT USE BARBECUES OR LIGHT FIRES along the NORFOLK coast! The ground is tinder dry! There have been several fires over the last few days because of discarded portable barbecues – one spark is all it takes to destroy habitat, nests, birds and life! Fire today at Holkham!

You don't NEED a barbecue to enjoy your day out! Whats wrong with sandwiches and a good old fashioned picnic?! Nothing! The next barbecue left, could destroy an entire nature reserve, an entire SSSI site, an entire irreplaceable habitat and LIFE! Do you want to be responsible for that? No, I'm sure most of you don't, but if you are not bothered, then don't bother visiting OUR COUNTY!  #STAYATHOME

Also, just because you see a waste bin at a coastal site, either empty or full, doesn't mean you need to leave your rubbish there! You brought your food items, nappies and dogs with you, so take the food rubbish, dirty nappies and dog poo bags back home – they are YOURS! Be responsible and dispose of in your wheelie bin – its not difficult!

While I'm on a rant....... I was shocked to learn that irresponsible day trippers walked out to Scolt Head Island and then phoned for assistance when they were cut off by the tide. If you insist on coming to our coastline, at least have the decency to read the BLOODY TIDE TABLES and use some basic common sense!

PLEASE DON'T WALK OUT TO SCOLT HEAD ISLAND and then ring for the RNLI when you realise you are cut off by the incoming tide, or any other area of the coast. READ TIME TABLES for TIDE TIMES. You are risking the RNLI staff's lives, you could have COVID-19! Here are the links: King's Lynn Port Authority has a PDF you can view or download into 'Pages' on your iPhone (April to August on there currently). Or you can view the Wells Tide Times or Cromer Tide Times. No excuses, you planned to come here, so plan your walk safely! Also don't walk across marshes and creeks to get to the sea, you may get stuck – we do have quick sand here and the mud can be treacherous – stick to the main beaches. Be aware of the tide coming in around you – you may be walking along the edge of the sea, whilst a channel further inland is filling up around you – this happens to people and can be very scary!

SINCE THE NEW LOCKDOWN RULES OF PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO DRIVE EVERYWHERE, OUR WILDLIFE IS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE, BIRDS ARE CURRENTLY NESTING, SO PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING:

KEEP YOU DOG ON A LEAD AT ALL TIMES, TO SAVE IT STRAYING AND DISTURBING NESTING BIRDS AND ALSO TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Dogs don't know that birds nest in the grass that they are running through, on the sand or on the shingle and nor do many humans come to think of it. Some people innocently think that all birds nest in trees, some do, but many nest on the ground in all types of habitats. This is why you see fenced off areas on beaches, which have been put in place by nature reserve wardens to protect
Little Terns and Ringed Plovers who both lay their eggs on the bare sand, without this fencing, the eggs would be trampled on by humans and dogs.

Neither do dogs know what 2 metre distance means!
Nobody else wants your dog touching them, when you could be a Covid-19 carrier or recovering from the virus!
#thinkaboutothers #thinkaboutnature

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