Water wildlife: ground nesting birds

While you’re no doubt wary of disturbing nesting swans while swimming outdoors, it’s always worth considering your impact on ground nesting birds too, says Susanne Masters. 

While most birds nest in trees and hedgerows, or on buildings, there are birds that nest on the ground and many of them live by watersides. River swimmers are familiar with easily-spotted swan nests at water level, and certainly swans will remind swimmers to move away.