Would you have said something: feral kids at RSPB sanctuary

[TheWildZebra]

Realise I may get slated for this, but wanted to know what general etiquette was around this sort of thing

last night went to the local RSPB sanctuary in hope of watching the starlings come in to roost and do their murmurations. It is a beautiful , peaceful and awe inspiring thing to see. It happens at sunset.

it’s a 20 minute walk to the viewing platform from the car park between flooded fields and muddy paths. Lots of bird viewing (and listening) opportunities along the way.

from about 10 mins in, I could hear screaming kids about half a km ahead of me. Like proper high pitch playground style. To my horror as I caught up with them, I saw it was 6 kids and 3 parents also on their way (very slowly) to the viewing platform so knew we’d be in for a noisy night. Kids about 7-8 yo.

Anyway, long story short is that the kids were making so much noise on the way there, at the viewing platform and on the way back. peace disturbed for other birders, not least scaring the wildlife we’d come to see (and hear!!)

the parents made no effort to keep the kids within reasonable noise levels. I don’t care if they talk. I care if they scream as if they’re watching fireworks. It seemed so bloody inconsiderate that they’d just let them ruin everyone else’s experience? Kids need to experience nature if we want them to look after if as the next generation. But they also need some boundaries - eg. Alex the owls will fly away if you scream at the top of your voice .

in the future, I know not to go on a weekend, and I’ll take a half day so I can go during the week.

but aibu to think it was just mega inconsiderate and would you have said something (I did not, just stewed and left feeling irritated and not peaceful!)

The RSPB should instruct people on basic good behaviour? Asking for quiet is not advertising; it's not selling something.

We're not talking about Canada and bears.

Arguably even more important than a library.

Which UNCRC article is that states children can scream at whichever volume they choose?

YANBU

I visit nature reserves often as I’m a bird nerd and do bird photography.

It irritates the hell out of me, when parents let their kids shout at the top of their voices and scare all the wildlife away.

I want kids to enjoy nature and learn about wildlife. They will be the ones taking care of it long after I’m gone. But they should be taught to enjoy it respectfully, both for the wildlife and other visitors.

It’s precisely this reason I avoid public nature reserves on a weekend and stick to my regional birding club members only ones on those days (as you rarely get children there).

I mean I think your response clearly shows you know nothing about birds. But it’s just plain common sense to not shout around wildlife because it scares the wildlife away. Is it that difficult for you to teach your children respect for wildlife?

What chance do your kids have of seeing different birds etc if they’re shouting constantly? Pointless taking them.

Costs nothing to be respectful to both the wildlife and other people.

Not every outdoor space is a playground for your kids to scream and shout and let off steam.

There’s plenty of places you can take your kids to run around and shout. A nature reserve is not one of them.

A nature reserve is a home for nature/wildlife. So yes you absolutely CAN expect kids (and adults), to be more quiet when visiting one.

If you really want them to learn about wildlife, firstly start with teaching them to have respect for it, by not shouting and scaring it.

It's just the way things are.
Children can only learn from their parents behaviour and when they should be quiet and respectful.

Shrieking kids are everywhere. My pet hate is kids rampaging around Supermarkets unsupervised..And causing chaos in hotels with out on control behaviour in dining rooms.

.Where their parents just look on

Now only go.to Adult Only Hotels for some peace.

But my local bird reserve has specific kids things like places to take photos , signs to follow games along the path etc so clearly geared for kids . Birds are not there for photography, and I doubt most worry about kids being loud

Most wildlife would be distressed by kids being loud.

No they wouldn’t , have you been to a bird reserve , specifically the ones like the nearby one go are by the sea ? The sea the waterfall the birds themselves are massively noisy , I don’t think they even notice kids running around

The kind of reserve you’re talking about is clearly very different to the ones the majority on here are discussing.

Yes, big colonies of seabirds tend to be raucous and busy. That's not the same as the kind that have hides.

This is why I don’t take my LO certain places where I can’t yet trust him to be quiet!
there was a hummingbird sanctuary on holiday recently that required people to be quiet so we never went.
LO will also noise match with any animals, really impulsively- and it will get louder and higher, no matter how much we try to control it.

I find it so utterly weird that basic knowledge of a native British animal is considered hoity-toity.

But then that's the British, isn't it. So eager to show off for not knowing or liking stuff, lest someone think they're not 'no-nonsense-salt-of-the-earth' enough.

Knowing not to have your family scream at a bird sanctuary is basic human behaviour, not exactly the stuff of Finishing School.

I live right by the sea; seagulls and similar are noisy, yes.
There are no hides; the kind of place we're talking about is where there are non-seabirds, ground nesting birds etc.

I think loads of people are mistaking the point of a nature reserve. They don't exist for the benefit of their children. They exist for the benefit of the wildlife. Of course screaming kids are going to be frowned at. They're disturbing the birds.

The comments about class on this thread have reminded me of the 80s sitcom ‘Watching’, about a middle class birdwatcher and his scouse girlfriend, who goes from enduring the bird watching to loving it. Very sweet (and very funny) programme. Anyone else remember that?

I caught it a few months ago on an obscure channel. I couldn’t remember the program, yet knew every single word of the theme tune

Yep and say anything to their parents and they will.be on here complaining.

When I was a child my parents were very concerned with how other people thought about them. “What will the neighbours think”. Then there was the freedom of the 60 and 70s, express yourself, you are an individual. Now I think there ate so many who are only concerned about themselves,what they to do, irrespective of others. Zero empathy.

is the cult of “self” something that’s prevalent? And damaging society. Increased crime, ?..?…?

Very well. I can even remember all the words to the theme tune 😂😂