Happy Birds, Happy Clients at Seahouses Middle School

Seahouses Middle School is currently undergoing major renovations and, to ensure that these can progress in a legally compliant manner, EcoNorth’s Suitably Qualified Ecologists (SQEs) provided breeding birds nest checks and tree bat roost assessment.

Part of these renovations required the construction of a new footpath to increase ease of access to the school whilst also improving pedestrian safety. Hedgerow removal and tree works to facilitate these important works was scheduled within the breeding bird season (March to August inclusive) thus requiring both a check for nesting birds and a preliminary bat roost assessment of the impacted trees.

An initial site meeting with the client kickstarted the project to ensure the works schedule and brief were fully understood and the project deliverables were agreed. Fieldwork was then undertaken and the required report submitted to the client by the end of the same day. During the course of the surveys, the trees in the hedgerow were found to be unsuitable for roosting bats. However, several active bird nests were recorded in trees that were due to be removed. This was reflected in the report to the client, along with an explanation of the obligation for extra surveys prior to the removal of the vegetation, despite the surveys being commissioned at the end of the breeding bird season.

A second breeding bird nest check visit was then made five days before the works were scheduled to commence, and in accordance with guidelines. Again, the results of the survey were submitted the same day and this rapid turnaround from survey to report allowed the construction of the footpath to proceed on schedule, without delay and importantly the chicks successfully fledged

“I have worked with EcoNorth on numerous occasions, most recently checking for breeding birds on the Seahouses Primary School site. They are a very professional and easily approachable organisation who provide a great service to their clients. I would certainly recommend them to anyone looking for a competent and reliable ecologist.”

Chris Lisle MRICS BSc (Hons), Senior Quantity Surveyor, Faithful+Gould