Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
Species
Conservation
Value at
Forthbank
Effect Construction Significance Operation Significance
Disturbance &
Displacement
November 2010 Chapter 12 Page 64
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2010 ©
Forthbank area are important wintering grounds for shorteared
owl 23 . During the winter, short-eared owls are highly
mobile but can come to remain at sites where vole numbers
(to which their movements can be highly linked) are high,
sometimes occurring in large numbers where vole populations
are high. However, the infrequent presence and low
abundance of this species suggests that the site does not
represent a key wintering or foraging ground, Furthermore,
there are considered to be suitable alternative foraging and
wintering grounds elsewhere along the fringes of the wider
Forth Estuary such as Carron Lagoons, Kinneil Kerse and
Lagoon and Valleyfield Ash Lagoons located between 8km
and 11km southeast of Forthbank as well as the abundance of
surrounding arable farmland. Consequently the minor loss of
habitat is predicted to have an effect of neutral magnitude.
Given the rare presence and low abundance of short-eared
owl at Forthbank, the likelihood of the short-term construction
activities having an adverse disturbance effect on this species
is considered to be negligible.
Not significant
There is potential for wintering short-eared owls to be disturbed
and displaced from the Forthbank area by the presence of the
proposed wind energy development. However, the rare
presence and low abundance of this species during the surveys
suggests that the application site is not an important
wintering/foraging ground for this species. Consequently, the
disturbance/displacement effect on short-eared owl is
considered to be negligible.
Barrier Effect N/A at construction N/A Given the rare presence and low abundance of short-eared owl
at Forthbank it is reasonable to assume that the proposed wind
energy development will not act as a significant barrier to the
movement of this species (neutral).
Collision N/A at construction N/A Of the 5 recorded short-eared owl flight events none passed
through the risk volume. Consequently, collision risk modelling
could not be carried out for this species for this species.
However, given the low number of recorded flights and that
none of these were “at risk”, it is reasonable to conclude that
there is a very low risk of this species being significantly
affected by collisions with the wind turbines (neutral).
Barn owl Local Habitat Loss Although the presence of barn owl at Forthbank was Minor N/A at operation N/A
confirmed during the specific barn owl surveys, the species
was not identified to be breeding and was never recorded
during any of the other surveys, despite the flight activity
surveys covering dawn and dusk periods. However, the
rough grassland of the application site and adjacent Black
Devon Wetlands represents suitable foraging grounds for this
species and therefore it is likely that these areas are still of
value to barn owls. Consequently the construction of the
Not
significant
Not
significant
Not
significant