PEOPLE across Keighley who head to the moors when lockdown restrictions ease are being urged: watch where you put your feet!

The plea has been issued by the RSPB, which says that over half of the country’s most threatened breeding birds nest on or near the ground.

Mike Shurmer, for the charity, said: “Uplands and moors are vital homes to ground nesting birds including curlew, dunlin and golden plover.

“The hen harrier, one of the UK’s most threatened birds of prey, also nests at ground level in some upland areas.

“Birds nesting on the ground are at higher risk from predators, which is why the nests and eggs they contain are often extremely well camouflaged. This makes them very hard to see and avoid.

“A skylark egg can be as small as 17mm across – that’s around the width of a 5p piece. When those eggs hatch, the vulnerable chicks can be just as well camouflaged. If disturbed, a chick’s instinct is often to stay quiet and avoid detection, so if you hear an adult bird calling out in distress – or see one trying to catch your attention – back away carefully to help protect nests from harm.

“We can all help protect species from disturbance by simply following the Countryside Code, keeping dogs on leads, watching where we step and sticking to footpaths.”

For further information about the work of the RSPB, visit rspb.org.uk.