‘Utterly appalling’: anger over swimmers in Hampstead Heath wildlife ponds

Nature groups have pleaded with swimmers to give wildlife a wide berth after dozens of people swam in a nature pond on Hampstead Heath among nests of baby birds.

Swans and their 12-day-old cygnets were disturbed by hordes of splashing revellers in the north London park on Monday as London reached record 35C temperatures. In one video, a swan was seen poking an unhatched egg with its beak after it fell into the water during the chaos.

Conservationists responded with dismay after a video was shared on social media of the scenes, which the City of London called “utterly appalling”.

Coots, moorhens and swans were seen guarding their eggs and young as people obliviously splashed around them. There are large signs around the pond urging people not to swim as it is a wildlife conservation area.

The unseasonably hot weather has meant that people have been going into water sources en masse to cool off. This has coincided with the nesting season for water birds. London’s outdoor swimming ponds and lidos were busy and booked up during the heatwave, meaning some people went to swim in unauthorised areas.

The RSPB said it was “a crucial time of year for breeding birds which just want to nest and care for their young in peace”.

The bird charity urged people to swim in authorised, lifeguarded spaces rather than nature reserves. “Along with the dangers of swimming in unauthorised places, there is a significant risk of disturbing wildlife. Many species are already under huge pressure and disturbance can make a parent abandon their nest, putting eggs and chicks at risk. Everyone has a part to play in protecting nature so we’d urge people to be responsible and give birds and other wildlife plenty of space when outdoors this summer,” it said.

Swans of Hampstead Heath, the Instagram account that raised the alarm about the birds, posted: “We are currently in peak nesting season. There are still eggs waiting to hatch, ducklings and chicks only days/weeks old, and for the first time in years, swans have successfully nested on this pond, with cygnets now just 13 days old. Restricting these birds to a small section at the back of the pond makes it incredibly difficult for them to access the natural food they need to survive.”

When nests are disturbed, the adult birds often flee, leaving their young to be eaten by predators or die of starvation.

The chair of the City of London Corporation’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park committee, alderman Gregory Jones KC, said: “The recent conduct of some visitors swimming in non-lifeguarded ponds is utterly appalling. Entering other non-lifeguarded water bodies is extremely dangerous, against our bylaws, and causes significant harm to wildlife habitats.

“We always seek to engage with visitors first, but the constabulary will take enforcement action where necessary, including issuing fines or making arrests.”

The nature campaigner and barrister Paul Powesland said: “I am not defending the people in the video, but scenes like this are an almost inevitable consequence of the destruction of outdoor lidos and the poisoning of rivers across London. It’s madness for a city the size of London to have only one set of wild swimming ponds; conveniently located in one of the wealthiest areas.”

There have, however, been warnings of cold water shock and drownings as lakes, rivers and the sea are much colder than the air temperatures at present.