Don't forget to check for bird bans when climbing in Spring

Access Articles
15 Apr
3 min read

Grabbing your attention with this beautiful picture of a Kestrel (Cudull Coch)! Now that the rain has subsided a little, it's a good time to remind everyone that we share our crags with many other creatures, notably our feathered friends who like to nest where we like to climb.

Bird nesting season usually takes place between March and September each year with many species fledging earlier in the season. Nest sites also can move so here at the BMC we are actively monitoring nest sites with the help of the climbing community. Protecting our feathered friends is both cool and the right thing to do!

Policy & Campaigns Officer (Wales) Eben Muse says, “The British Mountaineering Council has a really strong record of managing a network of climbing restrictions nationally so that we don't accidentally commit an environmental crime (to disturb a bird's nest is a crime) and also to ensure that we are able to enjoy responsible access to these places going forward.

“Climbers adhering to these restrictions are protecting themselves from prosecution, and our natural spaces from further decline - sadly one in six of our species is at risk of extinction from Wales.

“Access changes due to nesting birds this season can all be found here on the BMC Regional Access Database (RAD), so please take a look to familiarise yourself with these temporary updates."

Eben continues, “Through adherence, we have earned the right as a climbing community for these temporary restrictions to be targeted and evidence based. However, there have been some sightings of climbers seemingly unaware of climbing bans due to nesting birds.

“If you see a bird in distress near climbers or someone climbing on a restricted sector, you would be doing everyone a favour in approaching and politely informing them of the restriction and introducing them the very useful RAD app on your phone."

“Climbers have been prosecuted for disturbing birds in the past.

UKClimbing.com logbooks also have RAD integration (screenshots in the comments) and if you download the BMC RAD app (available on both app stores) it works offline, so there really is no excuse! Guidebooks quickly become out of date. You check the weather before getting out, so why not build in checking the access into your routine?

“If you believe there are birds nesting at sites with no restrictions, please email myself at eben.muse@thebmc.co.uk or Tom Carrick tom.carrick@thebmc.co.uk or talk to your lovely local access rep.”

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