Walk-over surveys
Our walk-over surveys, carried out by one or more experienced ecologists, will include the following:
- identification and mapping of habitats, both on the site and within a buffer area around it;
- characterisation of plant communities by identifying the dominant, typical and other significant species;
- assessing all hedges against the criteria for Importance for Wildlife and Landscape in the Hedgerow Regulations;
- assessing all waterbodies and surrounding land as habitat for amphibians, specifically great crested newts, including scoring to obtain a Habitat Suitability Index;
- assessing all habitats for their suitability for use by reptiles, and undertaking refuge searches and ‘direct observation’ transects if the survey falls within the species’ active period;
- assessing all trees and buildings for features suitable for use by roosting bats, and the whole site, including its connectivity within the landscape, as potential bat foraging habitat;
- assessing all ponds, streams and ditches as habitat for water voles, and searching for indications of presence such as burrows, paths, latrines and feeding signs;
- searching the site and a buffer of adjacent land for badger setts, paths, prints, dungpits or latrines and feeding signs, and assessing the probable level of use of the site in this context;
- recording all birds seen or heard and noting their activity, and assessing the site for habitats used by breeding Schedule 1 (specially protected) bird species; and
- listing all other species found on the site.
Before the walkover, the project manager or field team leader will have carried out a preliminary risk assessment. This will be updated by the team on arrival, to identify specific risks and ensure that mitigation measures are in place to deal with them.
ESL - Ecological Services
