2002-2006, ECON, Scroby Sands, Ornithological Monitoring, Assessing the impacts of the Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm upon Little Tern

The primary aim of this project was to monitor the impact of the proposed wind farm upon little terns, although impacts on other species (38 species) have been recorded during the study. The surveys carried out prior to construction were to form a baseline against future change with the presence of the wind farm. The work was divided into the following areas: feeding studies, breeding colony studies, prey studies and bird strike studies. Little Terns have not bred in numbers at North Denes which has hampered the construction of a baseline to compare against future change. In general terms it will not be known how the construction of the wind farm will impact the populations of little terns until the wind farm has been built.