Wind Farms - Protection?

How important wind has become, in the local news this week a proposed 50 turbine windfarm in  Yell , Energy Isles the firm behind the project. If you look at the directors you can see a few folk from Viking Energy, they say the usual things like we have home grown opportunity which can have a direct and positive effect on our local economy'. These will be 200m high

                                                                                                             Curlew


One new thing they are trying is now 37 companies have bought 10,000 Energy Isles shares in an effort to win some support.  

Another wind turbine which had been propose for Levenwick has scrapped plans as it failed to find funding, funding for another one at Laxo also failed to find funding on the same day.

                                                                                                           Golden Plover

Complaints were centred around the effect on the potential impact on birds, but although the RSPB had been consulted it did not object, this is not the first time they have decided not to put there weight behind an objection - you have to ask yourself what is their purpose !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad I left them years ago.

                                                                     Arctic Terns nesting on moorland

The propose 103 Viking Energy wind farm which will have turbines as tall as 145m,  awaits a decision in Spring 2019 as to whether they will receive subsidies to allow an interconnector to be established from the Scottish mainland to Shetland to allow the export of power.

                                                                                                     Meadow Pipit

If it gets the go ahead others will spring up in addition to the main project, a further 80+ are proposed in Yell , 17 already confirmed with Peel energy . Another 12 planned for Lerwick to Gulberwick to Scalloway with Peel energy.

Shetland will be destroyed all for a 25 year life span.

So you would think that a conservation body such as the RSPB would object.

RSPB Scotland has said it "strongly supports" wind farms, but in locations where turbines do not pose a risk to birds. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-36367044

                                                                                                Skylark

Look at this though https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/07/19/offshore-wind-farms-in-doubt-after-rspb-gets-planning-consent-qu/

The RSPB claimed that the projects, in the firths of Forth and Tay, would together result in the deaths of "thousands of gannets, puffins, kittiwakes and other seabirds from iconic internationally protected wildlife sites like the Bass Rock and the Isle of May" each year.

                                                                                                     Skylark

Now as far as I can see Shetland is one of the most important areas for Seabirds, we should see some results soon from the current Seabird Census. In addition, Shetland is a major site for migrating birds just how many birds will be lost to wind turbines, that's not counting the cost to our breeding birds such as Red Throated Diver, Whimbrel, Arctic Tern, Skylark or Curlew, for one I don't want to see any.

                                                                                                       Skylark

From the many tourists I have spoken to none wanted to see wind farms they see too many down south and want to come to Shetland to see one of the most unspoilt landscapes in the UK

Breeding Birds in Shetland

Just finished analysing the figures for this years Shetland Breeding Bird survey. As before I completed two 1km squares and these are the results

Plot 1 (AOT)
                       2017        2018
Blackbird          2                2
Lapwing            2                3
Snipe                 0                1
Redshank          1                1
Curlew              2                2
Oystercatcher    1               1
Skylark              5               6/7
M'Pipit              5               5
Wheatear           2              1
Wren                 0              1


Plot 2 (AOT)

Blackbird           2             1
Curlew               1             2
Snipe                  1             0
Oystercatcher     3             5
Redshank           0             1?
Wheatear            1             2
Skylark               6             8
M'Pipit                7             5
Twite                   1            1
Hoodie                1             1

Its good to see Oystercatcher increasing while Curlew which seems to do well in Shetland compared to the rest of the UK , holding their own. Skylark numbers up on both plots with Meadow pipit slightly down.

As with all these figures you have to get a good number of years before a good comparison can be made. All this information has been passed onto The Shetland Amenity Trust which has been conducting this survey and results are normally published in the Shetland Bird Report

Breeding now starting

Spring has arrived in Shetland during the last few weeks or so, numerous wildflowers are coming up and the birds are in full song. The weather has been warm and sunny as well, life is good

Shetland Name ( English Name)

Shalder (Oystercatcher)

Some birds have just started to nest, others such as Corbie (Raven) are early nesters starting in February.

                                                                      A Sandiloo (Ringed Plover)

Dunter (Eider)

Eiders are still in flocks as we speak but will soon break up into pairs with many pairs nesting on the moors. They are so well camouflaged that the female tends not to leave the nest even though the intruder may only be a few feet away. The males on the other hand, are displaying and calling always a spring treat

Gannets are back on the ledges and only journeyed south for a couple of months. Young stay in the nest along time and adults will be very busy finding food

Starlings having been displaying for a while and a constant source of enjoyment with a variety of song

                                 Breeding and migrant Blackbirds are still around in good number.

Laverek (Skylark)

Skylark are still present in good numbers as a breeding bird

                                                                                     Lintie (Twite)

                                    Twite are one of my favourite birds and are still around in large flocks

                                                                                        Male Twite show a red rump

Shalder (Oystercatcher )on a nest

Redshanks are one of the first birds to call out when anyone is near, it was good to find this pair busy feeding

                                   Flocks of Starlings still gather even though many have spilt up into pairs

Blackbirds now becoming territorial

Next month I will be busy, with different surveys. An on going one is the Beach survey which records any bird fatalities. I also do the Breeding bird survey for Shetland Amenity Trust covering two areas, something I have done since moving to Shetland. A new one this year is the Arctic Tern survey for the RSPB. Numbers are well down in Shetland due to the lack of Sandeels, it is possible that they may down to 1/4 of the population compared with the 1980's.

These are in addition to my own patches in Shetland, one in Sandwick and the other at Grutness in the south Mainland

I have just started a new Shetland Blog : ww2preserved.blogspot.co.uk