East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology Environmental Statement Volume 1 Applicant: East Anglia ONE North Limited Document Reference: 6.1.12 SPR Reference: EA1N-DWF-ENV-REP-IBR-000349 Rev 01 Pursuant to APFP Regulation: 5(2)(a) Author: Royal HaskoningDHV Date: October 2019 Revision: Version 1 Prepared by: Checked by: Approved by: East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement Revision Summary Rev Date Prepared by Checked by Approved by 01 08/10/2019 Paolo Pizzolla Ian MacKay Helen Walker Description of Revisions Rev Page Section Description 01 n/a n/a Final for Submission 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Ornithology Page ii East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement Table of Contents 12 Ornithology 1 12.1 Introduction 1 12.2 Consultation 1 12.3 Scope 2 12.4 Assessment Methodology 10 12.5 Existing Environment 20 12.6 Potential Impacts 31 12.7 Cumulative Impacts 105 12.8 Transboundary Impacts 152 12.9 Interactions 152 12.10 Inter-relationships 156 12.11 Summary 157 12.12 References 161 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Ornithology Page iii East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement The Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology figure is presented in Volume 2 and listed in the table below. Figure number Title 12.1 Ornithology Survey Area and Designated Sites The Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology appendix is presented in Volume 3 and listed in the table below. Appendix number Title 12.1 Offshore Ornithology Consultation Responses 12.2 Baseline Offshore Ornithology Technical Report 12.3 Supplementary Information for the Cumulative Assessment 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Ornithology Page iv East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement Glossary of Acronyms APEM APEM is an environmental consultancy with specialist expertise in digital aerial survey AR Avoidance Rates BDMPS Biologically Defined Minimum Population Scale/size BEIS Business Environment and Industrial Strategy BoCC Birds of Conservation Concern BTO British Trust for Ornithology CAA Civil Aviation Authority CIA Cumulative Impact Assessment CRM Collision Risk Modelling EA1N East Anglia ONE North EA3 East Anglia THREE EATL East Anglia THREE Limited EC European Commission EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMF Electro-magnetic Field EPP Evidence Plan Process ES Environmental Statement ESAS European Seabirds at Sea database ETG Expert Topic Group EU European Union FAME Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment GGOWL Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm Limited GPS Global Positioning System HRA Habitats Regulations Assessment ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea IEEM Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee KDE Kernel Density Estimate MAGIC Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside MCA Maritime and Coastguard Agency MLWS Mean Low Water Springs MMO Marine Management Organisation MRSea A spatial modelling software package MS Method Statement MW Megawatt NAF Nocturnal Activity Factor NE Natural England NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NPPF National Planning Policy Framework NPS National Policy Statement ORJIP Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme OWEZ Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands OWF Offshore Windfarm PAWP Princess Amalia Wind Park, Netherlands PBR Potential Biological Removal PCH Potential Collision Height PEI or PEIR Preliminary Environmental Information Report PVA Population Viability Analysis 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology Page v East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds SAC Special Area of Conservation SAR Search and Rescue SE Standard error (of the mean) SNCB Statutory Nature Conservation Body SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SOSS Strategic Ornithological Support Services SPA Special Protection Area (note, pSPA indicates a proposed site not yet designated) SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest UK United Kingdom WWT Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust ZAP Zonal Appraisal and Planning ZEA Zonal Environmental Appraisal 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology Page vi East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement Glossary of Terminology Applicant East Anglia ONE North Limited As built A term used for offshore windfarm developments that are operational and where the turbine array ‘as built’ is different to the worst case scenario in the Environmental Impact Assessment for the development (for example where a windfarm is built out with fewer turbines than the consented design envelope). Construction, A fixed offshore structure required for construction, operation, and operation and maintenance personnel and activities. maintenance platform East Anglia ONE The proposed project consisting of up to 67 wind turbines, up to four offshore North project electrical platforms, up to one construction operation and maintenance platform, inter-array cables, platform link cables, up to one operational meteorological mast, up to two offshore export cables, fibre optic cables, landfall infrastructure, onshore cables and ducts, onshore substation, and National Grid infrastructure. East Anglia ONE The red line boundary in which all wind turbines and ancillary infrastructure North windfarm site will be located. East Anglia Zone The broader area defined for Round 3 applications within which the East Anglia ONE North windfarm site is located together with East Anglia One, East Anglia THREE, East Anglia TWO, Norfolk Boreas and Norfolk Vanguard. European site Sites designated for nature conservation under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive, as defined in regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and regulation 18 of the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. These include candidate Special Areas of Conservation, Sites of Community Importance, Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. Evidence Plan A voluntary consultation process with specialist stakeholders to agree the Process approach to the EIA and information to support HRA. Inter-array cables Offshore cables which link the wind turbines to each other and the offshore electrical platforms. These cables will include fibre optic cables. Landfall Where the offshore cables come ashore, between Sizewell and Leiston. Meteorological mast An offshore structure which contains metrological instruments used for wind data acquisition. Migration free The breeding season for migratory seabird species is defined as a wider breeding season breeding season and a narrower window known as the migration free breeding season. In a given species, the timing of breeding will vary depending on the location of the breeding area; with the start of breeding usually later in more northerly locations. Thus, while birds at some colonies are beginning to nest, others may still be migrating to breeding sites. A core or migration free breeding season is defined as the period when all or the majority of breeding adults of a given species are present at breeding colonies. Natura 2000 site A site forming part of the network of sites made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated respectively under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. Offshore cable The corridor of sea bed from the East Anglia ONE North windfarm site to the corridor landfall site within which the offshore export cables will be located. 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology Page vii East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement Offshore The East Anglia ONE North windfarm site and offshore cable corridor (up to development area Mean High Water Springs) (described as the ‘order limits‘ within the Development Consent Order). Offshore electrical A fixed structure located within the windfarm area, containing electrical platform equipment to aggregate the power from the wind turbines and convert it into a more suitable form for export to shore. Offshore export The cables which would bring electricity from the offshore electrical platforms cables to the landfall. These cables will include fibre optic cables. Platform link cables An electrical cable which links one or more offshore platforms. These will include fibre optic cables. Safety zones A marine area declared for the purposes of safety around a renewable energy installation or works / construction area under the Energy Act 2004. Scour protection Protective materials to avoid sediment being eroded away from the base of the foundations as a result of the flow of water. 6.1.12 Chapter 12 Offshore Ornithology Page viii East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm Environmental Statement 12 Ornithology 12.1 Introduction 1. This chapter is an assessment of the potential impacts that may arise from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the offshore components of the proposed East Anglia ONE North project. It has been prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV from baseline survey work and data processing undertaken by APEM Ltd and data analyses by MacArthur Green. 2. The chapter describes the offshore components of the proposed project in relation to ornithology; the consultation that has been held with stakeholders; the scope and methodology of the assessment; the avoidance and mitigation measures that have been embedded through project design; the baseline data on birds and important sites and habitats for birds acquired through desk study and surveys and assesses the potential impacts on birds. 3. An ornithological assessment of the export cable landfall and onshore components