I thought I'd pop into Sandgrounder Hide today after watching 'the wedding'. It was very loud in there but I put that down to Bank Holiday high spirits and the excited bursts of camera shutters, presumably for the avocets which were nesting just a couple of metres away. I was just settling down to watch the avocets when my view was blocked by a man thrusting his head and shoulders out of the hide apparently looking for a lens cap that had fallen out of the window. Even a newbie to birdwatching like myself knows that that contravenes hide etiquette a bit! The RSPB hide attendants were trying to stop the guy, one even promised to buy him a new lens cap if he came back in, but to no avail and I watched as a tripod was lowered out of the hide into the water below. A couple of minutes before there had been a number of nesting avocets (and other birds) about 2 metres away, within moments all the birds had flown off and left vulnerable eggs unattended in nests.
Not only did I not get to see the avocets for very long but I'm left wondering if the actions of an ignorant and selfish man has put the potential offspring of these beautiful birds in danger.
I wondered if anyone else had had similar experiences or good ideas as to how we can ensure that we get great views of these wonderful birds without compromising their safety.