Bat Detector Deployment at Ferguson Wind Farm

The Ferguson Wind Farm is in south-west Victoria and consists of three turbines, each with a maximum tip height of 200 metres and a minimum Rotor Swept Area (RSA) height of 64 metres.

Bat detectors were deployed in a variety of habitats and at high on the metrological tower. A total of 12,248 files bat call files were recorded in the autumn and 11, 647 bat calls files in the spring. The frequency range covers all bats likely to be present in the region. The average number of bat call files per night varied from 123 near native vegetation to 0.9 per night.

As expected, the levels of activity close to the Turbines (due to their location in paddocks), and at height were considerably lower than locations where native vegetation or a waterbody are close.