In August 2008, BCMESL
was contracted to Sefton Council / Merseyside Environmental Advisory
Service to undertake a monthly series of co-ordinated WeBS-based
low-tide counts on the Sefton coast between Formby Point and the
Seaforth Dock-wall. Counts were organised and completed each month
by Brian Minshull and a co-worker working in close conjunction with
the Sefton Coast and Countryside Ranger Service; for instance, the
latter provided land-rovers and drivers to facilitate the survey.
The purpose of the survey work was to provide an updated data-base
relating to usage patterns of this section of the Merseyside coastline
by waterfowl; the last such surveys were done in 1998 – 1999.
This data-base was required in order to prepare for any future Habitat
Regulations Assessments and / or Environmental Impact Assessments
that may be required to support applications to improve sea-defences
on this highly-designated but threatened coastline.
The initial 8 month survey period was extended to include the important
spring passage months of April and May, and the resultant data sets
were presented, analysed and discussed in a series of reports and
appendices, as follows.
The raw data which the survey work generated was presented in the
Data Report Appendices, (together with summaries of existing data,
methodologies, etc.), and analysed and discussed in the Data Report
itself. Further, as the work was commissioned in order to appraise
future assessments of the Sefton Coast coastal defence strategy,
the findings of the survey work were discussed in another report
entitled the Assessment Report. This is intended to provide an initial
basis for all future assessments relating to the proposed works
on the coastline of the study area. This was done within the context
of the relevant environmental designations and citations relating
to this coastline, and the environmental legislation pertaining
to the protection of such areas, which are included within the Assessment
Report Appendices.
Finally, the count data generated by the surveys was incorporated
into a MapInfo data-base, which allows it to be interrogated in
infinite combinations relating to each of the individual bird species
or groups of birds species, for all of the count sectors within
the count unit or for individual ones, and for the entire 10 months
period, or for seasons or individual months.
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