What was the background to this survey?

Initially, EP Ecology was commissioned to conduct a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) that would support a planning application for a proposed 40MW solar farm in Renfrewshire. The site was mostly farmland, with mature trees and hedges along the boundaries of fields. The site was identified as being near to a Special Protection Area (SPA) where there were whooper swans. Whooper swans are winter visitors to Scotland, coming from Iceland in search of food. They are a Schedule 1 listed bird, meaning it is illegal to disturb them. As a PEA does not include in-depth bird surveys, we were subsequently commissioned to carry out detailed winter bird surveys for this species.

What did the team do?

We carried out a season of winter bird surveys, after liaising with NatureScot to determine the suitable requirements for the surveys. Our aim was to identify if the whooper swans were foraging or roosting on the site. Our ornithological expert, Alistair, conducted wintering bird surveys to record all relevant activity, looking both for roosting birds (searching for birds before sunrise) and foraging birds (looking to see if birds were feeding at different times of the day). We did fortnightly visits between November and May, and we looked both within the site boundary and within a 1km boundary around the site.

Image: Telescope set up ready for winter bird surveys in Scotland.

What did you find?

Lots of birds were observed foraging and roosting during site visits, including the protected whooper swans. Importantly, no whooper swans were seen foraging or roosting within the site boundary, although they were nearby. Additionally, other bird species were spotted including other protected species like barn owl and lapwing.

Image: Feeling the cold on winter bird surveys.

What was the outcome?

After writing our report, we were delighted to hear that the client was able to secure planning permission, with the planning committee unanimously granting consent. Our bird surveys played an integral role in providing suitable ecological evidence, showing that the whooper swans were not directly using the site, so that the planning committee could make their decision, and ultimately protect these wonderful birds. If you need any type of bird survey, get in touch with us today for a no obligation free quote (info[at]epecology.co.uk).