Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
Table 12.14 Winter Season Point Count Survey Results for Camilty
Species
Peak
survey
count
Relative
abundanc
e*
Annex
I
Schedule
1
BoCC
Redlisted
BoCC
Amber
-listed
SBL
West
Lothian
LBAP
Bullfinch 4 (Nov) 25%
Crossbill sp. 32 (Jan) 75%
Dunnock 4 (Nov) 31%
Fieldfare 40 (Nov) 6%
Greylag goose 1 (Jan) 6%
Kestrel 2 (Nov) 19%
Mallard 4 (Nov) 6%
Pink-footedgoose
37 (Nov) 6%
Redwing 30 (Nov) 6%
Woodcock 2 (Nov) 13%
* the index of relative abundance represents the percentage of points at which each species was recorded across the
three survey visits
Pink-footed Goose Connectivity and Roost Surveys
12.3.23 Large numbers of pink-footed geese were recorded at the Westwater roost site between late
September and late November 2012, with counts peaking at over 20,000 birds (Table
12.A.15, Appendix 12.1). During the Westwater surveys relatively few of the pink-footed
geese using this roost departed in the direction of Camilty when leaving the site at dawn, or
arrived back to the site from the direction of Camilty at dusk. Thus, an average of 3.3% of all
dawn departures and dusk arrivals were considered to be on flight-lines that were in the
direction of Camilty (as determined by the proportion of birds recorded within the 45 o arc
directed towards Camilty), with this value never exceeding 16% on any survey (Table
12.A.15, Appendix 12.1).
12.3.24 Numbers of pink-footed geese recorded during the simultaneous surveys at the proposed
Camilty wind farm site ranged from 0 to c.1200-1300. A variable, but sometimes high,
proportion of these birds were recorded flying in a direction that was closely aligned with the
direction to Westwater, but overall the counts during these surveys at Camilty represented a
small proportion of the counts of departing or returning birds at Westwater, with this being
less than 3% in five of the seven surveys from which these data could be extracted (Table
12.A.16, Appendix 12.1). In one other survey, the Camilty count represented c.18% of the
coincident count at Westwater, whilst in the remaining instance it exceeded the Westwater
count, occurring as it did in late November, when numbers at Westwater had declined to low
levels (see Appendix 12.1 for details).
12.3.25 No pink-footed geese were recorded on, or flying onto, Cobbinshaw Reservoir during any of
the eight dusk surveys carried out at this reservoir.
March 2013 12-23 ES Chapter 12
Ornithology
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