This year marks the completion of the 10^th year of surveys to assess the ecological impact of the University Wind Turbine, at the University Hazelrigg Field Station site. Annual monitoring is required as a planning condition of the Wind Turbine and began in 2009-10 with pre-construction baseline surveys, followed by detailed annual surveys post-construction in 2012. The works assessed the impact on the bird and bat populations in the vicinity of the wind turbine in terms of changes of behaviour.

Assessments for the impact on birds has included visual observations from fixed vantage points to identify resident and migratory species, with timings to coincide with breeding and migratory periods. Additionally, bat surveys have been carried out through Spring and Summer, typically around dawn and dusk, using visual surveys and acoustic bat detector monitoring equipment.

The results of the monitoring have revealed that the wind turbine site and adjacent areas of the Hazelrigg Field Station are frequented by an extensive range of resident and migratory bird species including species such as the Swift, Lapwing, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, and Tawny Owl. Two bat species have also been recorded at the site, namely the Common Pipistrelle and Noctule bat. The monitoring has noted that resident and migratory species resident for a period of the year have adjusted their behaviour to avoid the wind turbine blades.

These results prove that the choice of location has been successful, as the wind turbine location, in the middle of a field, was chosen in part to minimise risks to birds and bats, many of which tend to utilise flight pathways along boundary features such as hedgerows, woodland edges and becks.

Jonathan Mills, Carbon, Environment & Sustainability manager said: “It’s good to see that the wind turbine has had only a limited impact on the local bird and bat populations, and they have been able to adapt their behaviour to avoid it. Further survey works are planned over future years to monitor the impacts over the lifetime of the wind turbine.”

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