2011 - 2013, RPS, Lincs, Year 2 Boat-based Ornithological Monitoring

Since 2007 a boat-based monitoring programme has been undertaken for the Lincs offshore wind farm to collect information on seabird species during the pre-construction (2007-2010) and construction (2011-2012) periods. Pre-construction surveys identified 12 key species which either occurred in (regionally) important numbers or were considered potentially sensitive to the construction and operation of the offshore wind farm. The main aim of the report within this series was to determine whether the effects of construction related activities have had a measurable influence on the populations of each of the key species. To that end information is presented to explore changes in abundance, seasonal and spatial distribution of birds recorded within the Study Area between pre-construction and construction periods.