Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm - RWE.com

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possible, in 2010.
Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm
9.2.18 Further bat surveys of the main wind farm site were carried out in September 2009 and May
and June 2010 using multiple surveyors walking transects designed to maximise coverage of
the habitats or landscape features most likely to be used by bats (in particular the Lliw and
Dulais headwater gully systems). As well as heterodyne and frequency division detectors,
time-expansion detectors were also employed on these surveys.
9.2.19 The bat survey reports from 2005 and 2007 are attached as Appendices 9.2 and 9.3
respectively. These surveys were carried out by Greena Ecological Consultancy. The reports
of the further bat surveys by Bioscan in 2009 and 2010 are attached at Appendices 9.4 and
9.5 respectively.
Otter and Water Vole Surveys
9.2.20 A search of stream corridors for any signs of otter or water vole activity was made during
2004, both in the course of other studies and supplemented by a special survey in August of
that year. Surveys were repeated during the course of other verification surveys in the
summer of 2005 and again in the winter of 2006 and early summer of 2007. As well as the
MSA the surveys also covered those limited parts of the nearest shore of the Upper Lliw
Reservoir where sufficient access permission was available for visibility. The stream corridors
within the wind farm site were again checked for evidence of either of these species in
summer 2011.
Invertebrates
9.2.21 During the baseline surveys for the previous 19 turbine planning application, the suitability of
the upland habitat types for scarce Lepidoptera species known from the locality was
assessed. Incidental records of invertebrate species have also been kept throughout the
various surveys up to and including 2011. In addition, a specialist re-assessment of the
likelihood of scarce invertebrate species being present was carried out on 2nd August 2011
(report at Appendix 9.6), which included some direct and observational sampling as well as
moth trapping carried out at a location in the central part of the site on the evening of the
same date.
Other Fauna
9.2.22 Incidental observations of any other fauna of note have also been recorded as a matter of
course, with particular attention paid to searching any natural refugia suitable for reptiles or
amphibians. Waterbodies within the MSA were also assessed for their suitability or otherwise
for amphibians, including great crested newts, being searched for amphibian eggs during
spring and early summer visits in 2004 and 2005 where appropriate substrates were present.
These surveys have not been repeated since because the subsequent design refinements
have resulted in the current application site not including or adjoining any waterbodies
suitable for great crested newts.
9.3 Results
Desk Study Results
9.3.1 There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) located within any of the ecological