8 IMPACTS ON AVIFAUNA. 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Methodology

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1 8 IMPACTS ON AVIFAUNA 8.1 Introduction The proposed Langhoogte WEF site is located in the Overberg Wheatbelt and borders on the Eastern False Bay Mountains Important Bird Area (IBA). Wind farms have the potential to impact upon avifauna through disturbance, displacement and collisions with the wind farm infrastructure and hence Chris van Rooyen Consulting was appointed to undertake an independent assessment of the proposed development on birds. A copy of the full avifauna report is included in Appendix E Methodology Scope and Limitations The scope of the study was as follows: Description of the receiving environment (habitat) from an avifaunal perspective; Identification of priority avifauna species that might be impacted by the proposed facility; Identification of potential impacts on priority avifauna; The assessment of the potential impacts; and The provision of the mitigation measures to reduce the impacts. The identified limitations of the study are as follows: Vantage point observations are biased towards more visible species, larger species and species closer to the observer The spatial distribution of species from transect counts may not be representative of the whole site. The Blue Crane breeding season stretches from August to April. It is possible that Blue Cranes have bred in the study area which were not recored by the surveys. No comprehensive studies of the impact of wind farms on birds in South Africa are available Establishing the Baseline Conditions The following information sources were also consulted for this report, as background information: Bird distribution data of the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2) as a means to ascertain which species occur in the broader study area. Additional information on large terrestrial avifauna and habitat use was obtained from the Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR) project of the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) of the University of Cape Town (Young et al 2003; 2008; 2009a; 2009b; 2010a; 2010b, 2011a, 2011b). The conservation status of all bird species occurring in the aforementioned QDGCs was determined with the use of the Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Barnes 2000) and the most recent and comprehensive summary of southern African bird biology Roberts VII (Hockey et al. 2005). EIA Report 8-1

2 A classification of the vegetation types in the QDGCs from an avifaunal perspective was obtained from Southern African Bird Atlas Project 1 (Harrison et al. 1997). Detailed satellite imagery from Google Earth (imagery date 12 May 2011) was used in order to view the study area on a landscape level and to help identify bird habitat on the ground. Information on the micro habitat level was obtained before the monitoring commenced through site visits by the author in September 2011 and February 2012, when the monitoring transects and VP points were defined. An attempt was made to investigate the total study area as far as was practically possible, and to visit potentially sensitive areas identified beforehand from the Google Earth imagery. Information on Important Bird Areas (IBAs) was obtained from The Important Bird Areas of southern Africa report (Barnes 1998). An interview was conducted with Mr. Wicus Leeuwner, local farmer, bird expert and former chairperson of the Overberg Crane Group, on Blue Crane behavior in the Overberg (Leeuwner 2013 i ). An unpublished master thesis by Mark Bidwell through the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology was consulted on the breeding habitat selection and breeding densities of Blue Cranes in the Overberg (Bidwell 2004 ii ). The site monitoring programme provided the majority of the information used for this assessment. The monitoring programme commenced in March 2012 and will continue for four seasons. To date (February 2013 ) data has been gathered for the following periods: Late summer: March 2012 Late autumn: May early June 2012 Late winter: August early September 2012 Late spring: Mid November 2012 early December 2012 The monitoring programme has been summarised below: Five transects totalling 14.6 km within the proposed turbine area. Two observers recorded all sightings of priority species. Additional point counts were conducted every 500 m where all species were recorded for a 5 minute period. The transect is counted three times per sampling season. Observations from five vantage points (Figure 8.1) from which the majority of the proposed turbine area can be observed. A total of 12 hours of observations were completed at each vantage point per season. Potential focal points for priority species were monitored by visiting the site and counting birds once per season. In addition to the above all incidental sightings of birds were also recorded and plotted on a site map Sensitivity Assessment The type of habitat on site is a key factor in determining species likely to occur in the area. The following bird habitats were identified on site: Natural vegetation (scrub) Agriculture planted pasture and grazing pasture Farm yards EIA Report 8-2

3 Slopes Strands of alien trees Dams Bird usage of these habitats was assessed through the site monitoring programme. The following focal points for bird activity were identified on site Seven confirmed Blue Crane nests (six in the survey areas and one outside); Large dam (potential Blue Crane roost); Suspected display area (lek) for Denham s Bustard; Probable Black Harrier nest (outside the survey area); Confirmed Secretarybird nest (outside the survey area); Yellow-billed Kite Milvus parasitus nest (non-priority raptor). The figures below provide an indication of dams and watercourses located within the study area as well as different habitats identified on the site. The location of focal points are indicated in Figure 8.1. EIA Report 8-3

4 Figure 8.1 The survey transects (red lines), VPs (numbered green placemarks) and focal points superimposed on the proposed turbine lay-out as at 18 January EIA Report 1

5 Alien trees Scrub Agriculture Dams Farm yards Figure 8.2 Map indicating different bird habitats identified on the proposed Wind Farm Site EIA Report 2

6 Figure 8.3: Location of Blue Crane Nest and Denham s Bustard Display area with regard to turbine and access roads EIA Report 3

7 It is estimated that at least 197 bird species could potentially occur on the site. Of the birds potentially occurring on site, 27 are classified as priority species for wind farm sites (Table 8.1). To date, 114 species have been identified through transect surveys as part of the pre-construction monitoring programme, of which seventeen were priority species. Eighteen priority species were recorded during vantage point counts. Eight priority species were identified through incidental sightings. The table below indicates the priority species recorded on site to date:. Counts of priority species are generallt low, with the exception of Blue Crane. The location of Blue Crane sightings is indicated in Figure 8.4. Table 8.1 Priority species recorded to date at the WEF site. Common name Scientific name Transect counts Vantage point counts Incidental sightings African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer x x African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus x African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus x Black Harrier Circus maurus x x x Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber x Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius x Black-Shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus x x x Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus x x Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus x x x Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus x x Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus x x x Rufous-chested Accipiter rufiventris x x Sparrowhawk Grey-winged Francolin Scleroptila africanus x x Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus x x Verreaux s Eagle Aquila verreauxii x x Denham s Bustard Neotis denhamii x x x Steppe Buzzard Buteo vulpinus x x x Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus x x Black-chested Snake- Circaetus pectoralis x x Eagle White Stork Ciconia ciconia x Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus x Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres x EIA Report 8-4

8 Figure 8.4: Blue Crane sightings recorded during transect counts and incidental sightings (i). Transects are indicated in red. EIA Report 8-5

9 8.3 Impact Assessment Identification of Potential Impacts The effects of a wind farm on birds are highly variable and depend on a wide range of factors including the specification of the development, the topography of the surrounding land, the habitats affected and the number and species of birds present. Each of these potential effects can interact, either increasing the overall impact on birds or, in some cases, reducing a particular impact (for example where habitat loss causes a reduction in birds using an area which might then reduce the risk of collision). The principal areas of concern are: Collision mortality on the wind turbines; Collision with the proposed power line; Displacement due to disturbance; and Displacement caused by habitat transformation. The impacts identified below are assessed based on information collected during the site monitoring project. (a) Collision Mortality on Wind Turbines The risk of collision mortality on wind turbines varies between species. Large species with limited manoeuvrability and species which spend extended periods flying over the turbine locations will be most at risk. Based on the results of the site monitoring programme Blue Crane and Jackal Buzzard are most at risk of collision with the turbines. These results should be viewed as preliminary as another two sampling periods are planned. Migratory species such as the Steppe Buzzards are likely to be recorded in high numbers in late spring (from middle October onwards) when the harvesting starts and exposes rodents to predation. (b) Collision Mortality with the Proposed Power Line The proposed 132 kv power line that will link the wind facility to the grid could pose a collision risk, irrespective of which alignment is used. Southern route option 1 is the shortest southern route, therefore it is the preferred route from an avifauna perspective. The main impact of the powerline on birds will be collisions. Electrocution of avifauna with the powerline is not envisaged to be major impact for this development. Species most at risk from collision with powerlines are large species with limited manoeuvrability. Blue Crane and Denham s Bustard are both vulnerable to collision with powerlines. The risk of collisions may vary according to the land crossed. Lines crossing agricultural areas may result in higher mortalities of Blue Crane compared to lines crossing areas of natural vegetation. EIA Report 8-6

10 (c) Displacement due to Disturbance Displacement of avifauna may occur during both the construction and operational phase. During the construction phase the presence of vehicle and personnel on site may result in birds moving away from site. During the operational phase of wind farms the visual impact of the turbines and noise and vibrations associated with them can also cause displacement for avifauna. Further disturbance may occur during repair and maintenance of infrastructure. The majority of species recorded to date are raptors. Raptors are more likely to be displaced during the construction phase than the operational phase. This impact is likely to be temporary as generally speaking rapotrs are fairly tolerant of wind farms and will continue to use the area for foraging (Madders & Whitfield 2006). Denham s Bustard and Secretary Bird are both vulnerable to displacement. A secretary bird nest was identified approximately 2 km from the nearest turbine. It is unlikely that construction activity will interfere with breeding activity. Denham s Bustard has also been recorded on site. A potential display area (lek) has been identified on site (Figure 8.3). There is a lack of information available on the size of Lek areas used by Denham s bustard. Two turbines (number 2 and 38) are situated within the potential lek area. Ideally, the two turbines should be relocated outside the potential lek area, the presence of the lek area needs to be confirmed through further monitoring. If further monitoring confirms the lek, and relocation is not possible, the construction of the two turbines should not take place during the height of the lekking season (September to November). The most important potential impact on Blue Cranes from a disturbance perspective would be on breeding pairs during the construction phase. Currently there are 7 identified nests in the area that is taken up by the land parcels, of which six are located within the survey area. Almost all the nests are clustered in the north-western part of the survey area, which seems to be the hub of the Blue Crane activity in the study area, based on the location of nests and the intensity of recorded flight activity. A 500m buffer has been drawn around the nest cluster, and turbine number 15 has been removed from the layout as a result. This should shield the most important part of the study area for Blue Cranes from the construction activity. There may still be breeding pairs that will be temporarily displaced by the construction activity. However, it is likely that most of the birds will re-colonise the area once the construction activity has ceased. Blue Cranes are likely to continue to breed in wind farm areas once the wind farms are operational, as they have proved to be able to co-exist with intensive farming operations, involving many potential sources of disturbance. It has however also been shown that anthropogenic factors do have an influence on nest site selection. In the study by Bidwell (2004) it was shown that cranes avoid sources of anthropogenic disturbance at both the landscape and field scales. Cranes avoided buildings at both scales, suggesting that human settlements represent important sources of disturbance for nesting cranes. They selected against tar roads at the landscape scale and farm tracks at the field scale, implying that these birds first choose a field with respect to its proximity to the nearest tar road, and then select a site within it with respect to the closest farm track (interestingly though, no selection against dirt roads were found). It remains to be seen how well the birds habituate to the presence of the turbines there is anecdotal evidence that a pair of Blue Cranes bred successfully at the Eskom experimental wind turbine site near Klipheuwel (Leeuwner 2012). (d) Displacement Caused by Habitat Transformation Bird species may be displaced due to direct habitat loss resulting from the construction of the wind farm. The loss of habitat resulting from the construction of a EIA Report 8-7

11 wind farm and associated infrastructure is generally small. Actual habitat loss amounts to 2 5% of the total development area (Fox et al as cited by Drewitt & Langston 2006). Loss of habitat will have a greater effect if the development interferes with hydrological patterns or flows on wetland or peatland sites (unpublished data). Some changes could also be beneficial for example clearing of vegetation may make rodent prey more accessible to raptors. The envisaged impact of habitat transformation on avifauna at the Langhoogte Wind Farm is regarded to be low relative to other impacts (e.g. power line collisions), due to the small envisaged footprint Cumulative Impacts There are currently four wind farms planned for the area between Botrivier and Caledon. It is impossible to say at this stage what the cumulative impact of all the proposed wind developments will be on birds, firstly because there is no baseline as yet to measure it against, secondly because the extent of actual impacts will only become known once a few wind farms are developed, and thirdly because the number of wind farms to be developed remains uncertain. It is therefore imperative that pre-construction and post-construction monitoring are implemented at all the new proposed sites, in accordance with the latest Best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at proposed wind energy development sites in southern Africa (Jenkins et al. 2011). This will provide the data necessary to improve the assessment of the cumulative impact of wind development on priority species (provided developers are prepared to share data). Two impacts that may need to be investigated on a regional level are Blue Crane collisions and Denham s Bustard displacements. It must be stressed again that this statement is speculative and will have to be corroborated with evidence once information becomes available Assessment of Potential Impacts The potential impacts identified above have been assessed in line with the methodology set out in Chapter 6 of the EIA Report. The significance ratings given below include both without mitigation and with mitigation scenarios. (a) Construction Phase Construction activities would result in the displacement of birds due to disturbance (e.g. visual, noise and vibration). This would result in a short term, local negative impact of low significance. Habitat transformation and loss would also be an impact during the construction phase. Table 8.2: Summary of impacts during the construction phase Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Irreversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 1: Displacement of priority species due to construction activities Impact Description: Displacement of priority species (particularly Denham s Bustard) may occur during the construction phase of wind farms, and may be caused by the noise and movement associated with the construction activities. Without Negative Medium High High Medium - High High Medium Medium Medium High Description: Do follow-up monitoring in September to November and if lek is confirmed, implement buffer area around suspected lek. If this is not possible, restrict invasive construction activities within the suspected lek area to outside the peak EIA Report 8-8

12 lekking season (September to November). In general, restrict the construction activities to the footprint area. Do not allow any access to the remainder of the properties. With Negative Medium High High Medium - High Cumulative Impact: Unknown High Medium Low Medium Medium (b) Operational Phase Displacement of priority species may occur during the operational phase due to noise and movement associated with operational activities. This impact has a medium probability of occurring and is of medium significance. During the operation of the wind farm, priority bird species could collide with the wind turbines. It is considered probable that this impact would occur. The impact of the resulting bird mortality is considered to be long term, local negative impact of low significance. Priority bird species may also collide with the proposed power lines. The likelihood of this occurring is also considered probable. The resulting impact is considered to have a long term negative impact of medium significance on the local priority species populations. Movement and activity associated with the operation of the wind farm could also result in the displacement of priority bird species. In conjunction with other wind farms proposed in the Overberg, this could have a long term negative cumulative impact on the local populations; the significance of which is considered to likely be medium. Habitat suitable for priority bird species may be lost within the footprint of the proposed wind farm infrastructure. This would have a negative, long term impact of low significance on local populations. Table 8.3: Summary of impacts during the operational phase Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Irreversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 1: Displacement of priority species due to operational activities Impact Description: Displacement of priority species (particularly Denham s Bustard) may occur during the operational phase of wind farms, and may be caused by the noise and movement associated with the operational activities. Without Negative Medium High High Medium - High High Medium Medium Medium Lowmedium Post-construction monitoring should be implemented to assess the impact of displacement, particularly on priority species. Initially, a 12 month period of post-construction monitoring should be implemented, using the same protocol as is currently implemented. Thereafter, the frequency for further monitoring will be informed by the results of the initial 12-month period. Once the wind farm is operational, very little practical mitigation is possible other than to restrict access to the remainder of the property. Maintenance personnel and vehicles must be strictly supervised in order to ensure that no unnecessary trespassing takes place in areas which are not associated with the maintenance activities. With Negative Medium High High Medium - High Cumulative Impact: Unknown High Medium Low Medium Lowmedium EIA Report 8-9

13 Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Irreversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 2: Collisions with the turbines Impact Description: Mortalities due to collisions with the turbines Without Negative Medium High Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Low Prior to the operation of the wind farm commencing, the dataset must be further analysed in order to establish the potential statistical significance of a suite of environmental factors (e.g. the influence of wind direction and wind strength). It is hoped that this will contribute towards our understanding of the environmental conditions which may increase or decrease the collision risk e.g. whether certain species are more likely to fly (or not fly) at rotor height when the wind is blowing at a specific speed or in a specific direction. Once the turbines have been constructed, post-construction monitoring as per the latest version of the Best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at proposed wind energy development sites in southern Africa (Jenkins et al. 2011) should be implemented. The purpose of this would be to assess actual collision rates (carcass searches), and to record any changes in the flight patterns which could be attributed to the presence of the wind turbines, including avoidance behaviour. If actual collision rates indicate high mortality levels, turbines identified as particularly hazardous should be curtailed during high risk periods (e.g. when collisions are linked to specific environmental conditions or agricultural activity such as the feeding of sheep), or rotor speed reduced, to reduce the risk of collision mortality. With Negative Medium High Low Medium Medium Medium Low Low Low Cumulative Impact: Unknown Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Irreversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 3: Collisions with the powerline Impact Description: Mortalities due to collisions with the powerline (all proposed alignments) Without Negative Medium High High Medium Medium High High High Medium The proposed 132kV power line should be marked with Bird Flight Diverters (BFDs) to lower the risk of avian collisions with the power line. The recommended BFD is the Double Loop Bird Flight Diverter (see Figure 21). The BFDs should be fitted to the earthwire, 5 metres apart, alternating black and white. This recommendation is applicable to all the proposed alignments. With Cumulative Impact: Low Negative Medium High Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Irreversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 4: Displacement due to habitat transformation Impact Description: Mortalities due to habitat transformation Without Negative Low High Low Low Low Low Low Low High No mitigation is possible other than ensuring that the footprint is kept to the absolute minimum. With Cumulative Impact: Low Negative Low High Low Low Low Low Low Low High EIA Report 8-10

14 (c) Decommissioning Phase The decommissioning phase of the wind farm will have similar impacts to the construction phase.decommissioning activities would result in the displacement of birds due to disturbance (e.g. visual, noise and vibration). This would result in a short term, local negative impact of low significance. Table 8.4: Summary of impacts during decommissioning phase Impact Nature Extent Duration Intensity Reversibility Impact on Irreplaceable Resources Consequence Probability Significance Confidence Impact 1: Displacement of priority species due to de-commissioning activities Impact Description: Displacement of priority species may occur during the de-commissioning phase of wind farms, and may be caused by the noise and movement associated with the de-commissioning activities. Without Negative Medium High High Medium - High High Medium Medium Medium High Description: Restrict the de-commissioning activities to the footprint area. Do not allow any access to the remainder of the properties. With Negative Medium High High Medium - High Cumulative Impact: Unknown High Medium Low Medium Medium Measures The following management actions are proposed to minimise the impact of the development on avifauna: The current monitoring programme should continue. The data will be used to refine the sensitivity map and micro-siting of turbines. A post-construction monitoring should be implemented to assess the impact of displacement, particularly on priority species. The monitoring programme should run for a period of 12 months and use the same methodology as the current baseline monitoring programme. The need for additional monitoring programmes will be determined from the outcome of the post-construction monitoring programme. Maintenance personnel and vehicles must be strictly supervised in order to ensure that no unnecessary trespassing takes place in areas which are not associated with the maintenance activities. Follow-up surveys should be conducted in September November 2013 to gather further information on the presence of a potential Denham s Bustard leks on site. If the lek sites are confirmed it is recommended that turbines 2 and 38 and relocated outside the estimated lek area. In the event of it not being possible to relocate the two turbines, construction activities associated with these turbines should not take place in September - November The monitoring of the lek sites should continue for at least five years to assess the impact of wind farms on display activity. Post-construction monitoring should be implemented to assess the impact of displacement, particularly on priority species. Initially, a 12 month period of post-construction monitoring should be implemented, using the same protocol EIA Report 8-11

15 as is currently implemented. Thereafter, the frequency for further monitoring will be informed by the results of the initial 12-month period. A 500m No-Go buffer should be implemented around the cluster of Blue Crane nests that were recorded on the site, to prevent disturbance of breeding birds. This would necessitate the removal of turbine number 15. The removal of turbine 15 has been incorporated into the final turbine layout. The following management actions are recommended to reduce the risk of collisions to priority species: Baseline monitoring of flight activity should continue. The data will be used to inform the sensitivity map and micro-siting of turbines Once the turbines have been constructed, post-construction monitoring as per the latest version of the Best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at proposed wind energy development sites in southern Africa (Jenkins et al. 2011) should be implemented to assess actual collision rates. If actual collision rates indicate high mortality levels, the following mitigation measures should be considered: o halting operation of specific turbines during peak flight periods or reducing rotor speed, to reduce the risk of collision mortality; and o landowners must be sensitised to the fact that the feeding of sheep close to a turbine may create a high risk collision potential for Blue Cranes, and should therefore be avoided if at all possible. The following management actions are proposed to minimise the impact of power line collisions on priority species The proposed 132kV power line should be marked with Bird Flight Diverters (BFDs) to lower the risk of avian collisions with the power line. The recommended BFD is the Double Loop Bird Flight Diverter. The BFDs should be fitted to the earthwire, 5 metres apart, alternating black and white Monitoring Programme An appropriate post-construction monitoring programme will be compiled, which will be informed by the results of the pre-construction programme. The primary aims of post-construction monitoring are to (Jenkins et al. 2012): Estimate the numbers/densities of birds regularly present or resident within the broader impact area of the operational wind farm. Document patterns of bird movements in the vicinity of the operational wind farm. Compare these data with baseline figures and hence quantify the impacts of displacement and/or collision mortality. Quantify and qualify bird collisions with the turbine arrays, as well as additional mortality associated with power lines and other ancillary infrastructure. Mitigate impacts of the development by informing on-going management of the wind farm. The details of the post-construction programme will only be finalised once the preconstruction monitoring has been completed. If need be, monitoring during construction phase will be conducted at specific focal points. EIA Report 8-12

16 8.4 Summary and Conclusions The site is located in the Overberg Wheatbelt and borders on the Eastern False Bay Mountains Important Bird Area (IBA).Whilst having similar habitat to the IBA, the site of the proposed wind farm is located marginally outside the formal borders of the IBA. Nevertheless, based on the habitat composition of the site, 27 priority bird species were identified as potentially occurring on the site. The proposed wind farm development could give rise to the following impacts on birds: Collision mortality with wind turbines Collision mortality with overhead powerlines Displacement due to disturbance Displacement due to habitat transformation Blue Crane and Jackal Bustard have both been identified as species which are vulnerable to collision with wind turbines, although this statement does not consider potential avoidance behaviour, which is unknown.. Blue Cranes in addition to Denham s Bustard have been identified as at risk of collision with overhead powerlines. Displacement of birds may occur during the construction phase; Denham s Bustard, Secretary bird and nesting Blue Cranes are all vulnerable to displacement. Re-colonisation of the site by Blue Cranes after the construction phase is likely, based on the species known tolerance for anthropogenic related sources of disturbance. Six Blue Crane Nests and two display locations for Denham s Bustard were present on site, these sites were given buffers of 500m and 200m respectively as shown in Figure 8.3. No turbines are located within these buffers however access roads do pass into the buffer of for the Blue Crane nest and the most easterly display area. It is likely that the Denham s Bustard display locations exceed beyond the 200m buffer, however further monitoring is required to determine the extent of the area. The assessment undertaken identified that the impacts arising during the construction and operation of the proposed wind farm would be local, negative and of low to high significance. Various mitigation measures have been proposed to reduce these impacts. These include implementing monitoring programmes to determine sensitive habitats, installation of bird flight diverters and post construction monitoring programmes. A post construction monitoring programme will be conducted to monitor the impact of the wind farm. The data set from this programme will be used to develop further mitigation measures and also to inform the bird sensitivity map. Table 8.5: Summary assessment of the different impacts for the different phases of the development, before and after mitigation Construction Operation Decommissioning Impact Premitigation Postmitigation Premitigation Postmitigation Premitigation Postmitigation Displacement of priority species Mortalities due to collision with turbines Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium - - Medium Low - - EIA Report 8-13

17 Collision with powerline - - High Medium - - Mortality due to habitat transformation - - Low Low - - i Wicus Leewner Telephonic interview with the author on 25 February ii Bidwell M.T Breeding habitat selection and reproductive success of Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus in an agricultural landscape of the Western Cape, South Africa. EIA Report 8-14