Boaters in the Lake District are being urged to avoid the reed beds so as not to disturb wintering birds. Goldeneye, tufted duck and pochard are just some of the visitors expected to arrive in the coming months, pushing the bird population to 2,500.

‘We want to appeal to boat owners not to land near reed beds, even if they’ve already been damaged,’ said Carissa Lough of the Lake District National Park Authority. ‘No-one would want a juggernaut driving through their house and flattening their beds – the same goes for our birds on Windermere.’

The number of reed beds on Windermere is declining and work is underway with the Cumbira Wildlife Trust and other organisations to find out how to protect them.

Find out more at the Lake District National Park Authority website.