AS the final throes of winter finally give way to spring and some welcome sunshine, countless countryside lovers are again warming to the idea of venturing back out into Wharfedale’s dramatic, unspoilt, natural landscape.

Along with the fresh air, the chance for some hearty exercise and some picturesque views, the sight of spring lambs and the calls of birds pairing up and making their nests is a great highlight of walking in the countryside.

The start of the spring also marks the beginning of a very sensitive time of year for local wildlife, when dog owners are asked to take special care not to disturb birds during the nesting season.

Some of the ground-nesting bird species which raise their brood on Rombalds Moor are on the The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ red conservation status list – meaning it is vital that they are left in peace to lay eggs and raise chicks.

Suitable breeding grounds for many of these birds are few and far between, putting further pressure on their dwindling population.

Signs were put up on Ilkley Moor by Bradford Council at the beginning of the month, telling dog walkers their pets must be kept on a leash, in a bid to protect the easily-disturbed bird life during their nesting season.

From March 1 until the end of July, walkers visiting the iconic moor are required to keep their dogs on a lead, and not let them run free where they might harm wild birds, trample on nests and eggs, or scare a rare bird into abandoning its nest and eggs, or chicks.

This is a longstanding annual requirement, but similar restrictions also apply to ‘access land’, areas across the country which walkers were first given access to under new legislation in 2004.

In some places, wider restrictions apply, allowing for the complete exclusion of dog walkers if deemed necessary to protect wildlife or meet land management needs.

Access land restrictions stipulate that the lead used should be no more than two metres long.

Other parts of Rombalds Moor have dog walking restrictions in place throughout the year.

While dog owners will quickly be able to spot if their dog is at risk of frightening livestock in lambing season, it is not always as easy to see if an energetic pet bounding around the countryside has caused irreparable harm to wildlife.

The average gentle family pet may be seen as perfectly good around other animals in the urban setting, but a careless dash just yards from the footpath is enough to ruin the prospects of some birds successfully rearing young this spring. As Moorland Association chairman and member of Bingley Moor Partnership, Edward Bromet, explained: “There’s nothing more damaging to the successful breeding of vulnerable birds than a dog disturbing the nest.”

The lapwing, or ‘peewit’ as it is sometimes known for its distinctive, shrill call, is one of the birds which finds sanctuary in Wharfedale to nest and raise its young.

Once a common sight on farmland, the lapwing population has suffered a decline in its population recently, and today has ‘red’ conservation status.

Another bird that nests on the moor, the curlew, best known for its own distinctive cry, has amber conservation status.

“The moor is very, very sensitive, especially in the short few months where birds are nesting, said Bradford Council Countryside and Rights of Way service officer, Richard Perham.

“If people could keep their dogs on leads, particularly on the top of the moor.”

A clash of interests between dog walkers and people with other interests in the region’s moorland – be they walkers, moorland managers or those connected with grouse shooting – is prone to being contentious enough at any time of year.

Not all responsible dog walkers who visit local landmarks are fully aware of the rules, and there is evidence that some do not want to follow them even when they are pointed out. Indeed some probably feel that it is unkind to deny their dog a chance to race around open countryside as nature probably intended.

A booklet produced in partnership between several rural agencies and the Kennel Club suggests there are many alternative areas where dog owners can walk with their pet, such as country parks, green spaces, cycleways, and beaches – although beaches may have their own restrictions on dogs in the summer months. Mr Perham reports that there are still dog owners who do not stick to the restrictions, while Mr Bromet says there is a mixed response to requests on Bingley Moor Partnership land for walkers to stick to footpaths and keep their dogs on a leash.

Signs put up by the Bingley Moor Partnership in the past have been torn down, and Mr Bromet says it is not unknown for walkers to heed the request of moorland workers to put their dog on a leash – only to let it off later.

Dogs are only allowed on footpaths, and then only if kept on a leash, throughout the year on Bingley Moor and Hawksworth Moor.

On Burley Moor, dogs are only allowed with their owners on two tracks between April 1 and June 20, and between August 10 and September 15. Again, these dogs must be on a short lead.

In Otley’s Chevin Forest Park, which does not follow suit with the access land restrictions, there was a recent call for dog walkers to clean up dog dirt after their pets – or risk a new restriction ordering them to keep dogs on a leash at all times.

In a bid to cut down on confrontation between dog walkers and others parties on Ilkley moor, The Friends of Ilkley Moor came up with their own dog walkers code, and a reminder to walkers of their responsibilities.

The Friends said: “All owners like seeing their dog run freely on the Moor, but research shows that where dogs are running free, ground nesting birds will not nest within 250m of a path.

"So anyone who wishes to hear a Skylark sing, or see a Little Owl, should keep their dog on the lead on the upper slopes of the Moor between March 1 and July 31.”

At this time of year, Bradford Council also puts on signs on Ilkley Moor warning dog walkers about controlling their dogs during lambing season. Sheep ‘worrying’ does not necessarily mean a dog savaging a sheep, although Mr Perham has made appeals for dog owners to be more vigilant after such incidents in previous years.

If a dog chases sheep, terrifying what would naturally be a prey animal, farmers are within their rights to shoot the dog.

It is not only loose dogs of course that can upset the delicate balance of nature. It is acknowledged that walkers themselves straying from footpaths can easily damage nests and eggs, or scare off a nesting bird.

Mr Bromet also highlighted the damage that can be caused by mountain bikes. As well as damaging nests or scaring off the birds, they churn up wet ground and can damage the heather ground cover needed by the nesting birds.

He stressed there is no automatic right to ride a bike on most parts of Rombalds Moor, although some mountain biking is in practice allowed to take place on parts of Ilkley Moor by Bradford Council.