Although some survey work for protected species is seasonally restricted to their periods of activity, there are still many surveys that can be undertaken throughout the rest of the year, including winter.
Wintering bird surveys and bat hibernation surveys can only be undertaken during the winter and planning ahead can help save time and money. Internal inspections of buildings for the potential presence of bats can also be undertaken at this time of year to assess the potential to support roosts and define whether further surveys are required. This is important for temporal planning of your development process and gives your project the opportunity to undertake surveys right at the start of the bat season, should they be required.
Winter also provides the optimum time for inspections of trees for potential bat roost features as these are much easier to spot when there are no leaves.
Similarly, winter is a great time to undertake badger surveys as signs and setts are far more visible after vegetation has died back.
Preliminary ecological appraisals can be conducted throughout the year, although sub-optimal in winter, and these can help you understand baseline conditions for temporal and fiscal project planning.
Do check our survey calendar for optimum timings and ensure that you plan ahead.
If you’d like support with survey planning, please contact us