Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
scenario. Any change in nesting locations is more likely to result in nesting being at distances
greater than 300 - 500m from construction-related activities on the proposed development
site, so that the level of effect would be at most Slight (as for construction disturbance effects
predicted at the currently used nest site – see 12.5.33).
Foraging Habitat
12.5.36 As mentioned above, the vast majority of the proposed wind farm (over 90%) will be located
within the clear-fell and recently restocked areas of the site. Although goshawks may still
forage over and within these open areas there is considered to be an abundance of
alternative and equally suitable goshawk foraging habitat in the wider Camilty area (at least
1500 ha within 3 km of the recent nest sites – see 12.5.27). Therefore, any birds which may
be dissuaded from foraging over and within the proposed development site or the
immediately surrounding area will simply be displaced to these other areas. Goshawks are
also known to be relatively tolerant of human disturbance (Ruddock and Whitfield, 2007) and
therefore foraging birds are unlikely to be significantly affected by ongoing construction
works. Consequently, the effects of disturbance during construction are likely to be of
negligible magnitude on the local goshawk population and therefore the level of effect is
anticipated to be Negligible which is not significant in terms of the EIA Regulations.
Operation - Disturbance/Displacement
Nesting Habitat
12.5.37 As detailed above (12.5.33), the existing goshawk nest site is located sufficiently far from the
proposed development site that disturbance from the proposed wind farm (either during
construction or operation) is unlikely to affect nesting. Consequently, if the existing nest site
continues to be used, operational disturbance from the proposed development is expected to
result in at most a small magnitude of effect on the population at both a local and regional
scale. Combined with the medium conservation importance of this VOR, this would produce a
Slight level of effect, which is not significant in terms of the EIA Regulations
12.5.38 As argued above (12.5.34) it is unlikely that there will be a change in goshawk nest site that
results in the establishment of a new site within 300 – 500m of the proposed turbine locations
prior to the start of the operational phase. However, if this were to occur, then disturbance
from the operational activities could (as a worst case scenario) lead to abandonment of the
(theoretical) nest site, with an alternative site having to be established elsewhere within the
1500+ ha of potentially suitable nesting habitat in the wider Camilty area (and within 3km of
the known recently occupied nest sites).
12.5.39 Given that this is what happened to the 2011 nest site as a result of the Phase 1 felling
operations (and that the birds are nesting within a forest habitat in which there is a rotational
felling cycle), it is anticipated that the local goshawks are relatively habituated to such
displacement. Therefore, the worst case scenario effects are predicted to be of no more than
small magnitude on VOR of medium conservation importance. In some circumstances, this
displacement could result in a moderate to slight level of effect considering the regional
importance of the goshawk population. However, the local goshawks have bred successfully
in close proximity to felling operations (estimated to be in the region of 300-500 m) in both
2011 and 2012. It is therefore considered that any effects of disturbance and displacement
on nesting goshawks will be no more than slight, which is not significant in terms of the EIA
Regulations.
March 2013 12-45 ES Chapter 12
Ornithology
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©