Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
12.4 Assessment of Effects
Evaluation of Ornithological Receptors
12.4.1 Each bird species recorded within the proposed wind energy development survey area was
considered to be a potential Valued Ornithological Receptor (VOR) if it met any of the following
criteria:
• a qualifying species of the Firth of Forth SPA 8 ;
• a species listed on Annex 1 of the Birds Directive 10 ;
• a species listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) (as
amended) 11 ;
• a species for which the UK supports an internationally important population;
• a priority species of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan 4 ;
• a species with an action plan under the Clackmannanshire Local Biodiversity Action
Plan 6 or listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List 5 ;
• a species included on the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) in the
UK 12 ;
• a waterfowl species which is likely to be affected by a wind energy development;
• a species with a population in the survey area sufficiently large to be deemed as of
national importance.
12.4.2 Of the potential VOR species, several which are identified on conservation and biodiversity
lists are still relatively common and widespread in the UK despite their conservation status.
For example grey partridge, linnet, song thrush, tree sparrow, herring gull, house sparrow and
starling, all of which were recorded during the Forthbank surveys, are priority species within
the UKBAP, and/or are red-listed BoCC. However, their conservation status reflects a decline
in numbers rather than rareness. Furthermore, some of the species recorded within the
Forthbank survey area which are included on the Scottish Biodiversity List are also common
throughout the UK including robin, swift, black-headed gull and kestrel. Consequently the
importance of the site to these species was considered to be at the local level and therefore no
significant impacts are predicted on any of these species. As such they will not be considered
further in this assessment.
12.4.3 A total of 42 VOR species are presented Table 12.17. The list of species is arranged in order
of conservation significance within which they are listed in alphabetical order and includes 16
SPA qualifying species, 10 Annex I species, 7 Schedule I species, 14 UKBAP/red-listed
species, 5 Clackmannanshire LBAP species and 22 Scottish Biodiversity List species. These
are discussed in turn below. The VOR table also presents a summary of the survey findings
for each species along with their assigned conservation value as a species and in relation to
November 2010 Chapter 12 Page 22
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