Butterflies, moths and other insects.  

Butterfly transects throughout Scotland to determine species populations and trends.

Moth surveys using a specially designed light trap to find which species and numbers are in any set area.

Freshwater Crayfish and aquatic invertebrates.  

Surveys to determine the presence or absence of our native and sensitive white-clawed crayfish which has largely declined from the result of competition from it's larger introduced cousin the North American crayfish.

Marine Mammals.  

Surveys for whales, dolphins and porpoises at sea.

Otter & Water Vole Survey.  

A survey and mitigation plan is required if there is any potential disturbance, and will search for presence or absence to avoid any negative impact on these mammals or their habitats.  Otters and Water Voles are fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Water Vole is a priority conservation species.

Badger Survey.  

This survey is required if land is due to be disturbed.  The survey will search for any signs of the mammals and how they use the site and will advise on any mitigation required, so as to give minimum impact due to disturbance on them.

Guided Tours.  

Bespoke private and small group tours tailored for the individual needs throughout Scotland. Please see our Tours page for more information.

Raptors

A survey for studying specific raptors such as Hen Harrier and Golden Eagle.

Species Specific

Specialised surveys for schedule 1 species such as Barn Owl, Black Grouse, and Divers.

Vantage Point Surveys. (Vps)

VP survey is designed to quantify the level of flight activity and its distribution over the survey area. Its primary purpose is to provide input data for the Collision Risk Model (Band et al. 2007), which predicts mortalities from collision with turbines. Data can also be used to provide an overview of bird usage of the site, which may help to inform an overview of potential disturbance and displacement. However, the data gathered on target species other than those for Collision Risk Modelling may be biased.

Woodland Point Counts (WPCs)

Perhaps the simplest method of counting birds is called a "point count", in which a trained observer records all the birds seen and heard from a point count station for a set period of time. A series of point counts completed over a fixed route can then be compared to the results of the same point counts in other seasons or years. A similar method, called an area search, involves searching throughout a fixed area for a set amount of time and recording the number of birds seen and heard.

Brown & Shepherd (B+S)

A method for censusing upland breeding waders.  This entails four survey visits, once a month between April and July.

Common Breeding Birds Census (CBC)

This is a several visit transect survey designed to gather comparable data over a period of time; the result is a list of species present and numbers of each species. This survey is suitable for post-construction monitoring or assessing changes at sites adjacent to a development.

We provide a range of professional services to individuals, groups, public bodies, and private companies.

Whether you need a site survey for renewable projects, eg wind farms, a field ornithologist, advice on conservation management, guided tours, or wildlife-based school group outings, then I can help.  

Wetland Birds (WeBS)

Monitoring non-breeding water birds in the UK to identify population sizes, trends in numbers and identify important sites for water birds.

Seabirds at Sea

A scientific survey undertaken from a boat to monitor distribution patterns and location of seabird concentrations both flying and on the water for renewable energy industries.

Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW)

We will  to endeavour to ensure that sensitive ecological issues on your site are identified early and managed according to best practice guidelines, whilst recognising the need for you to progress with your development to the required time-scale.  Guidance can be provided to ensure legal compliance for protected species and habitats, and to ensure compliance with planning conditions.

Services