How to not be a dick at the beach this summer.

A guide on how birds and humans can coexist on the beaches this year.

Summer. A time where humans make their way in the sandy beaches for good times in the sun. From swimming to tanning their pasty behinds, playing cricket games to simply reading the latest bestseller by the seaside, summer is very much about the beach. However, the beach is not only a place where humans flock to, but birds do as well. In order to feed, rest, and nest.

During this time, it is important to give these birds space as in not to stress them out or kill their very vulnerable young chicks.

Read on to discover how you, yes you, can be a friend to the birds this summer.

Keep Your Distance

Perhaps the most vital thing you can do for these shore birds, is simply stay away. Seems easy.

When walking along the beach, you may spot certain areas that are cordoned off. These will typically also have a sign detailing that birds are nesting here. Do not enter these spaces as this will stress out the nesting birds, or you may end up squashing eggs or chicks with your feet.

Birds spend energy luring you away from their nests, for example, the New Zealand Dotterel will drag their wing feigning injury to lure you away from their nests. This takes them away from their eggs, which can boil in the unrelenting heat or be eaten by predators. They are also wasting energy on you, when they need this energy to feed their chicks if hatched.

If you are walking along and come across a large colony of roosting birds on the beach, do not walk through them. Birds need rest, to digest food or simply recoup, just like us humans. Disturbing them during this time can actually result in lower rates of reproduction and survival. Next time you see a large group of roosting birds, simply walk around them.

Dogs

Dogs pose a severe risk to our coastal wildlife. A dog barreling towards birds can cause stress, they can also attack birds, destroy nests and eat eggs. Earlier this year, a dog seized a blue penguin and shaked it like a rag doll. The penguin was euthanised due to the severity of its injuries.

Dogs also pose a threat to resting seals on coastal areas, with seals being maimed or killed by dog attacks.

So what can you do?

Do not bring your dog to a no dog area. There will be signs around detailing this, or a quick internet search will tell you whether dogs are permitted at this site. And remember to walk your dogs on a leash at leashed areas.

There are many off leash areas for you and your dog to explore, so be considerate and either keep your dog at home while visiting areas with vulnerable wildlife or keep your dog leashed at all times.

Noisy Activities

Keep noisy activities to a minimum while near a nesting site or vulnerable coastal wildlife. This includes things like drones, driving your off road vehicles, riding horses, letting off fireworks, lighting bonfires, or playing raucous sport games. Bird New Zealand found that a cricket game in a bird sanctuary at Ohama beach ended up squashing eggs and chicks. I know all these activities are fun for humans, but put yourself in the webbed feet of a shore bird. Would you enjoy all these things if you were half the size of a small cat and weighed around 100 grams? It would most likely be the scariest experience of your feathered life.

This balloon piece could have ended up in the stomach of a bird.

Pick up rubbish

While walking along the beach, rather than picking up shells, how about you pick up rubbish. Trash can end up in the stomachs of many of our shore birds, or caught and twisted around their bodies leading to strangulation, amputation of limbs or death. Things like balloons, fishing line and hooks, and plastic are especially dangerous.

No Feeding

**A variable oystercatcher having a meal**

Feeding birds can change their natural behaviour, making them friendlier towards people or dependent on people for food, which is dangerous. It can also attract rats and other predators that may feast on their eggs. So rather than feeding a chip to the seagull, put it in your own mouth.