1. Dogs that leap into butterfly habitat and scare off the butterflies.
2. Dogs that jump up at us. I had one today ("he's only being friendly") stuff its nose into my camera and make a mess on the lens.
3. And then there is of course the "presents" that dogs leave on footpaths.
I am getting fed up with dogs (and in fairness, not all dogs are unruly) and am tempted to get a portable ultrasonic dog-deterrent. Do they work? And does the use result in a greater risk from annoyed dog owners?
4. Other hazards parallel this story:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/24/se ... accus.html
We certainly get funny looks at times. I was birding once in mid-winter looking for Bramblings. "What's he up to wandering around like that? He hasn't got a dog with him" I overheard a woman say to her female companion in a deliberately loud whisper. Mind you, when I was noticed acting "oddly" by three women in Brampton Wood last weekend, one immediately said: "Are you trying to find Black Hairstreaks?" It transpired that she works at Monk's Wood and had been shown the butterflies by local expert, Nick Greatorex-Davies.
5. Gay cruising localities. Broxbourne Wood is notorious and although I have never felt threatened, their presumed activities really act as a deterrent to visiting some parts of the wood. Sussex Kipper tells me that in West Sussex, the appropriately named Fairmile Bottom is too irritating to visit for just this reason. Every one to his own, but in private please. It's not just gays. I recall on Watlington Hill (as I was looking for Silver Spotted Skippers) a heterosexual couple "at it" in the middle of a footpath. I am competent to deal with adders that I might find sunning themselves on a footpath, but how on earth do you deal with that sort of thing? A bucket of water is reputed to work on dogs but I don't normally carry a bucket of water around with me
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Jack