Eagle-eyed? I don’t think so
WE are constantly being told that we should put our faith in the planning system and that robust and thorough consultations are carried out for every development.
Therefore, I attended a consultation event for the Invercassley Wind Farm near Rosehall, held by Fred Olsen Renewables in Bonar Bridge.
After viewing the montages, I picked up one of the glossy exhibition brochures to read about the extensive ecological and ornithology surveys it has carried out for the scheme. Having worked with birds of prey for much of my life and studying them in the wild, I was surprised to see an image of a bald eagle featured on the Environmental Impact Assessment page.
I sent the image off to two friends, one a BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) ringer and another from a local raptor study group, both of whom monitor eagle nests in the Highlands. They both confirmed that the image was of a sub-adult North American bald eagle.
I cannot believe that a company like Fred Olsen Renewables, which prides itself on not being like other developers, can pay so little attention to the content contained in its documents.
Especially when a quick Google image reverse search clearly shows the image was taken from a selection of stock images entitled “Bald eagle on a branch”. It is a little insulting to attendees (or perhaps they thought we would not notice) and shows a total lack of respect for such iconic Scottish species as the white-tailed and golden eagle which I am guessing it was meant to represent.
This error now makes me doubt the quality and standards of the ecological and ornithological studies prepared for the Environmental Impact Assessment of this development. Tracey Smith,
Golspie.
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