windfarms.where are the birds?

[The Woodman]

As it's mentioned in that RSPB article, I've been to the windfarm at Tarifa in Spain and can say that it's quite horrendous, the scale of the ever expanding development, the sound of older turbines gear boxes grinding away and that sickly smell of hot gear oil.

Ground getting eaten up with service tracks and maintenance depots, etc.

The unkown factor must be disturbance. Will the birds return to their prefered habitat when there's towering, potentially 24/7 revolving machines dominating the area?

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by loripo

Not sure if this has been posted - a comment by the RSPB last year

The RSPB: Wind farms

They also have a map for Scotland showing sensitive areas for wildlife.
Cant see any followup investigations of operating Windfarms tho - that would be interesting - unless the info is being kept quiet.

I have worked on a few wind farm EIAs but unfortunately not as an ornithologist as that is not my area of expertise. However, I am aware of at least one site where long term post development bird monitoring is ongoing, including breeding bird surveys and casualty monitoring. It would be nice to think the data will be published one day. The continuing data collection is part of the conditions for the permission for the development and is made available to the agencies. I would imagine this is repeated elsewhere. It might be worth asking the question direct of SNH when data and monitoring reports might be publicly available. Sorry, but I don't know and cannot supply further details.

[The Woodman]

That's good to know Johnny.

Have you any idea what would happen if it was shown that the development was detrimental?

I couldn't imagine turbines being pulled down due to a crash in Meadow Pipit numbers.

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

That's good to know Johnny.

Have you any idea what would happen if it was shown that the development was detrimental?

I couldn't imagine turbines being pulled down due to a crash in Meadow Pipit numbers.

The reason for the monitoring must be to drive future policy and guide SNH etc re their reposnse to future windfarm applications. Also to test the methodology for calculating collision risks for birds. As you probably know substantial pre-application bird surveys are undertaken, often over more than 1 year. One of the methods employed is to do timed surveys from vantage points plotting flight lines of all birds flying through the proposed turbine area. My (not overly detailed) understanding is that after these have been plotted on the turbine layout map a fairly complicated mathematical risk of collision can be calculated for different species taking into account the total survey time, the time spent in the turbine area (scaled up to a full year or appropriate part thereof for migratory species), flight direction and height, turbine height and rotor diameter together with a factor to allow for birds seeing and avoiding the turbines. In effect the result is how many (if any) of a particular species are likely to be killed in a year. Monitoring would hopefully confirm or not the figures and therefore provide a test of the method. I don't know enough about it to provide more detail I'm afraid (I'm mainly a plants and habitats man myself) but it must be published / described in EIAs as collision risk assessments are standard in EIAs.

[The Woodman]

Thanks for the explantion Johnny and I'll see if I can dig out an EIA for a scheme.

[lucy78green]

I have worked on wind-farms (as an archaeologist) and I am only there to monitor during the construction phase. They are not allowed to do any construction between April and August so that breeding birds aren't disturbed and an ecologist monitors the construction phase as well. We weren't told about collisions in relation to birds, but bats having their ear-drums ruptured (in USA) I think by the air turbulence???? (not sure exact cause) and therefore not being able to detect blades and flying into them. Hen harriers have been seen on some of the wind-farms I've been on and I've seen other sorts of birds up there (started a debate on id in wee brown bird thread, can't find it now). Not an expert, but maybe as ours are located in bogs there isn't as much diversity of wildlife there to disturb?

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Thanks for the explantion Johnny and I'll see if I can dig out an EIA for a scheme.

Here is a link to the Lewis Wind EIA. There is plenty of info in the ornithology chapter on methods.

Lewis Wind Farm | Planning Application

[loripo]

This is in the current New Scientist...
Circling turbines spell doom for vultures - environment - 06 September 2009 - New Scientist

I would have thought bogs were excellent areas for wildlife, but I'm sure someone will know about that for certain.

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by loripo

This is in the current New Scientist...
Circling turbines spell doom for vultures - environment - 06 September 2009 - New Scientist

I would have thought bogs were excellent areas for wildlife, but I'm sure someone will know about that for certain.

Yes they are indeed. EIAs for windfarms in the uplands/peatlands tend to be big documents. Have a look at the full version of the Lewis Wind EIA if you're interested. PS I did not work on the EIA for that proposal!

[The Woodman]

Johnny, I've been reading Chapter 12 for the last two hours and have been engrossed in the information. I've learnt so much from it.

I guess the survey effort reflects the importance of Lewis as a bird site but I have an uncomfortable feeling that this scheme is in the wrong place.

I'll continue to the end and then perhaps I'll re-read it - there's so much to absorb.

Bet the surveyors had a great time on Lewis with all those S1 species to watch all day.

Do you have a link to the updated fauna section by any chance?

Many thanks for the link and apologies to rossy for sidetracking the Scout Moor issue.