Birds come first

The whole point of this is real birds, seen in the wild, living their lives. No card, no streak and no God-tier robin is worth stressing one out. Here's the code — it's short, it's common sense, follow it.

Use your zoom, not your feet — 2× to 4× on a phone, or borrow some binoculars. A bird that's alarm-calling, freezing, or flying off is telling you to give it room. A slightly distant photo beats a flushed bird every time.

Nesting birds are at their most vulnerable. Don't approach, photograph at the nest, or part vegetation to get a look — you can expose eggs and chicks to cold and predators, or cause a parent to abandon them. In the UK it's a criminal offence to intentionally disturb many nesting birds, and for rarer species the protection is stricter still. Admire from afar.

No flushing a bird repeatedly for a flight shot, no playing call recordings to drag a bird into the open in breeding season, no luring with food where it's not appropriate. Let the bird come to you, on its terms.

A genuine rarity can draw a crowd that does real harm — to the bird and to the landowner's goodwill. Think before you post a precise location, especially for breeding or sensitive species. Vague is kind.

Stick to paths and access land, leave gates as you find them, take your litter home, and don't trample habitat for a better angle. Most great birding spots are someone's land, farm or reserve — keep us welcome.

Keep dogs under close control near ground-nesting birds and wintering flocks — a single bounding spaniel can put up a whole estuary. Tread quietly, move slowly, and don't crowd a bird with a group.