Birds
Shetland is home and breeding ground to a wide range of rare and protected species. In addition, its unspoilt moorlands support a number of bird species. Sustainable Shetlands believes that destuction of habitat is just as bad for "common" species as it is for rare and protected species.
At the moment this page will feature bird pictures from in and around the site of the proposed Viking windfarm sites.
A study was published in February 2005 relating to Merlin and Red throated divers in the Viking wind site and buffer zone. It is worth noting the report refers to the site and buffer zone as being "slightly over 100 km2". The public version of this study can be seen here
Red Throated Diver
(Gavia stellata,Shetland name Rain Goose )
More information from RSPB - www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/r/redthroateddiver/index.asp
According to the RSPB there are 1255 pairs in the UK, and Shetland is the UK stronghold for this bird. However a BBC report from September 2007 indicates that the Shetland population has dropped from 700 to 407 pairs.
Rain Geese (Red Throated Diver)
Image by Alec Moncrieff (aged 9)
whimbrel
(Numenius phaeopus, Shetland name Ebb Cock)
More information from RSPB - www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/whimbrel/index.asp
90% of UK breeding Whimbrel are in Shetland, and according to the RSPB there are only 530 pairs in the UK.
Golden Plover
(Pluvialis apricaria)
More information from RSPB at www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldenplover/index.asp.
Merlin
(Falco columbarius)
UK population is about 1,330 pairs. This is the only regularly breeding bird of prey in Shetland. In recent years the Shetland breeding population has been less than 20 pairs. (Pennington et al 2004)
More information from RSPB at www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/merlin/index.asp
References
Pennington, M., Osborn, K., Harvey, P., Riddington, R., Okill, D., Ellis, P., Heubeck, M., 2004. Birds of Shetland. Christopher Helm.
This site...
Sustainable Shetland is a campaign group opposed to very large scale wind farms in Shetland. We believe these large industrial projects are damaging to our local environment. We believe that the Viking Energy Project endangers Shetland Community Funds, and that project costs are underestimated, whilst project income grossly overestimated.
We believe that the Viking Energy proposals are everything we do not need in Shetland: they are financially risky and will damage the Shetland environment.
We want to see sustainable renewable energy projects in Shetland, and that these projects should be fit for scale, and provide real community benefit.
We aim to go beyond just being just an "anti-wind power campaign".
