The Ecology Consultancy’s senior ecologist based at our new Edinburgh office has been undertaking preliminary bird surveys at proposed sites for wind farms in Scotland.
Before joining the Consultancy Phil Davey was, for the past 20 years, the Senior Site Manager for Natural England based at the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve in Northumberland. His interest in birds dates back to the 1970s and since then he has co-ordinated and undertaken a range of ornithological surveys including CBC (Common Bird Census), Webs (Wetland bird survey) and farmland bird surveys to inform agri-environment schemes.
In the 1980s whilst working for the RSPB in Orkney he was involved in the assessment of the effects of pioneer wind-generators on upland breeding bird populations. Since then the methodologies for ornithological surveys at proposed wind farm sites have been refined and the Vantage Point Survey is now considered a critical part of the procedure.
This survey is undertaken from a predetermined fixed point preferably adjacent to the site with, as is implied in the title, a good view over a part, or all, of the site. The number of vantage points will vary according to the size of the area to be studied. VP surveys are usually divided into four three-hour sessions per month - dawn, morning, afternoon and dusk - and focus on target and secondary species. Naturally the species vary depending on which birds are deemed important for the particular habitat. Once a target species is seen it is observed until lost from view, its route mapped and the length of observation in seconds noted.
Critically the flight height must also be estimated and allocated to a height band together with the length of time spent in this band. All changes of band are recorded separately. Determining heights is perhaps the most difficult part of the exercise and one made easier with experience.VP surveys can continue throughout the year to cover wintering birds. Surveys for breeding avifauna will also include the Brown and Shepherd transect technique for bird surveys, and are often supported by a separate raptor survey.
