Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
three VORs (i.e. 12.5.47 – 12.5.55 for goshawk and 12.5.66 – 12.5.72 for the two goose
species).
Barrier Effects
12.5.18 Individual turbines or the proposed wind farm as a whole may present a barrier to the
movement of birds, restricting or displacing birds from much larger areas. Birds may avoid
flying through or over wind farms by altering local flight paths or migration flyways.
12.5.19 The effect this would have on a population is subtle, and difficult to predict with any certainty.
If birds regularly have to fly over or around obstacles or are forced into sub-optimal habitats,
this may result in greater energy expenditure (Drewitt and Langston 2006). This will reduce
the efficiency with which they accumulate reserves, potentially affecting their survival or
breeding success. During the lifetime of the proposed wind farm, there is evidence that some
birds may habituate to the presence of turbines (e.g. Madsen and Boertmann, 2008), and so
this effect is likely to be greatest in the short-term.
Decommissioning
12.5.20 Potential disturbance effects associated with decommissioning are presumed to be the same
as those identified for construction, albeit taking place over a shorter timescale at the end of
the operational lifetime of the proposed wind farm. This assumes that there is no permanent
displacement of birds from the wind farm due to disturbance effects, although activities will be
subject to the same legal restrictions to avoid the destruction of nest sites, or disturbance to
protected species.
12.5.21 Given the similarities between the effects of construction and decommissioning, the effects of
decommissioning are not considered separately for each species.
Goshawk
12.5.22 Due to the sensitive nature of the information associated with goshawk, some of the
information relating to the assessment of effects on this species is presented as confidential
information in the Confidential Ornithology Appendix.
Construction – Habitat Loss
Nesting Habitat
12.5.23 Details of the two known nest sites (from different years) of goshawk within the vicinity of the
proposed Camilty wind farm are provided in the Confidential Ornithology Appendix. Both of
these occurred outwith the development site boundary, with one having been felled along
with much of the forest coupe in which it was located, as part of the standard felling cycle.
12.5.24 The proposed development will therefore not result in the loss of any known goshawk nesting
sites. Consequently, the effects of nest site loss are considered to be of negligible magnitude
on a VOR of medium conservation importance and, by implication, any effects are concluded
to be of a Negligible level on the population at both a local and regional level, and therefore
not significant in terms of the EIA Regulations.
12.5.25 While it is possible that other nest sites may be established within, or in close proximity to the
proposed development site between now and the commencement of works, it is difficult to
predict where such nest sites are likely to be located. Goshawks usually nest in large trees
over 20 m in height and typically in areas of coniferous forest (often preferring larch trees)
which have a high density of reasonably well-spaced (2.4-3.8 m) mature trees and well
March 2013 12-42 ES Chapter 12
Ornithology
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