Archive of: RES

Caledonian Conservation has been working to satisfy ecology planning conditions for RES at Freasdail Wind Farm in Kintyre since 2014, involving developing and delivering mitigation for a range of birds, mammals, reptiles and habitats, as well as providing Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) services.  The final step in this process was the deployment of nest rafts to encourage red-throated divers – rare birds protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended in Scotland) – to breed.

Red-throated divers spend winter at sea, and return to breeding territories (usually small lochans in open moorland) in spring.  The nest consists of a small scrape, normally located at the water’s edge, or on an island.  As nests are often located within easy access of predators such as foxes, otters and gulls, disturbance and predation can cause breeding failure.  Nests are also vulnerable to flooding during incubation – an increasingly common problem as summers become wetter as a result of climate change.

Artificial nest rafts have been found to greatly improve the success of breeding divers.  These rafts are not susceptible to flooding, as they adjust automatically with the water level, and also limit access to land-based predators.

To avoid disturbance, nest rafts were installed after the major elements of construction were complete.  Locations for rafts were carefully chosen to avoid risk of collision with wind turbines while red-throated divers commute between nesting lochans and feeding habitat (the sea and larger waterbodies), and to ensure there would be no human-caused disturbance during operational maintenance activities.

Working with Simon Lawrence (Lawrence Environmental Consultants), the nest rafts were successfully installed by Caledonian Conservation in April 2017, and will hopefully improve the breeding success of red-throated divers in the area in future years.

Read more about RES at:  http://www.res-group.com/en

Read more about Freasdail Wind Farm at:  http://www.freasdail-windfarm.co.uk/

Photo:  Diver nest raft installed near Freasdail Wind Farm © Simon Lawrence

Hexicon AB’s Dounreay Trì floating offshore wind farm has been granted consent by Scottish Government.  This groundbreaking demonstration project will help change the face of offshore wind energy generation by allowing turbines to be installed in waters too deep for conventional technologies.  Not only does this open up new areas for wind development, but may also reduce potential impacts on marine wildlife (e.g. on seabirds) that may be associated with these projects.

Offshore renewable energy plants need to be connected to the grid, which means there are onshore elements to the Dounreay Trì project.  Caledonian Conservation Ltd is proud to have completed the full suite of onshore ecology and ornithology work, as well as the terrestrial Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) chapters for the Environmental Statement (ES).  Ecological features identified and considered in the assessment included various international and national protected sites designated for a range of features including breeding seabirds, raptors, wintering geese and swans, otter, Scottish primrose sand dune habitats. Other ecological features considered included other protected mammals (badger, pine marten, bats), reptiles, barn owl and other bird species.  Being objective and clear, we are pleased that our assessment and recommended mitigation was accepted by the determining authorities without objection.

Read the Scottish Government announcement here.

Read more about the recent council approval on the BBC website.

The full Environmental Statement (ES) and Technical Appendices can be read  here, or via our publications page.

Read more about RSPB’s support for the Dounreay Trì in The Scotsman.

Read more about Hexicon AB here.

Read more about RES here.

Hexicon AB’s Dounreay Trì floating offshore wind farm has been approved by Highland Council and has gained support from RSPB.  This groundbreaking demonstration project would be built in Caithness, and could change the face of offshore wind, but still requires approval from Marine Scotland and Scottish Government before it gains consent.  Floating wind turbines will allow wind farms to be built further offshore, in deeper waters, limiting their impact on sensitive marine wildlife such as seabirds.

Caledonian Conservation Ltd is proud to have provided the complete suite of onshore ecology and ornithology services for the Dounreay Trì project on behalf of RES Offshore and Hexicon AB – offshore wind farms still need to connect to the grid on land, and Caithness hosts much sensitive wildlife.  Our surveys and Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) helped ensure the project avoids significant wildlife impacts onshore through careful design and mitigation.

Read more about the recent council approval on the BBC website.

Read more about RSPB’s support for the Dounreay Trì in The Scotsman.

Read the Dounreay Trì planning application, including the onshore ecology and ornithology Environmental Statement chapters, here.

Read more about Hexicon AB here.

Read more about RES here.