Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
• Potential disturbance and displacement of birds from part of their current foraging
range, the severity of which is likely to be reduced by the availability of suitable
alternative habitat in the wider area and habituation to such effects through
commercial felling operations;
• Predicted mortality of up to one bird every three years and four months and between
seven and eight birds over the course of the wind farm’s 25 year life span,
representing an increase of at most 8% to 10% of the natural adult mortality rate
(although in reality this is likely to be less as the estimated collision mortality
incorporates flight activity by juveniles as well as adults, whilst the standard forest
management cycle is likely to reduce habitat suitability for goshawk (and hence
expected flight activity and collision risk) for at least part of the proposed wind farm’s
life span); and
• Partial barrier effect posed by the presence of the wind farm and its associated ‘area
of influence’ potentially leading to the segregation of the local goshawk’s from part of
their home range territory, the severity of which is reduced by the availability of
suitable alternative habitat in the wider area.
12.7.3 There will be a need to carry out pre- and mid-construction goshawk surveys and to continue
to consult with the Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group and the FCS District
Environment Team about the current location of any goshawk nest sites in order to better
predict and minimise or even avoid any effects of disturbance on the species during
construction. In particular, if goshawks establish a nest site within or in close proximity to the
proposed development footprint, this could be removed by tree-felling during the nonbreeding
season (September-January/early February) to avoid disturbance to nesting birds
during the breeding season. Any effects of this would not be mitigated, other than by putting
up nest platforms elsewhere in the forest (as has been carried out previously for nest felling
during scheduled felling operations). Such nest loss would be no different to the nest loss
which the local goshawks have experienced and may experience in the future as a result of
scheduled felling operations. Under such circumstances, it is anticipated that the birds will
simply establish a new nest site elsewhere (as has occurred previously in this area), which
may be facilitated by the establishment of platforms elsewhere within the forest, .
12.7.4 Discouraging birds from nesting in close proximity to turbines during operation by removing
suitable trees will not be feasible since the areas immediately surrounding the proposed wind
farm site will be replanted as part of the FCS restocking plan.
12.7.5 Targeted mitigation and habitat enhancement measures are not considered to be required to
maintain the conservation status of goshawk at the regional/NHZ scale because the level of
any adverse impacts are predicted to be no more than slight, so that any residual effects will
also be (at most) Slight. Thus any impacts will not be significant in terms of the EIA
Regulations.
Pink-footed Goose and Greylag Goose
12.7.6 There are not predicted to be any significant effects at any level (i.e. substantial, moderate or
slight) on either pink-footed geese or greylag geese, therefore no specific mitigation
measures are required for these species. The predicted residual effects remain at a
Negligible level, which is not significant in terms of the EIA Regulations.
March 2013 12-57 ES Chapter 12
Ornithology
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