Conservation charity says it will move nest site to accommodate T In The Park - but with deep misgivings
The nest site of a rare bird of prey will have to be moved – to make way for T In The Park revellers.
A conservation charity has reluctantly accepted that an osprey nesting platform will have to be placed somewhere else to give the fish-eating birds a chance of breeding successfully.
Problems arose when festival organisers abandoned their site at Balado in Perth and Kinross and applied to move to Strathallan Castle, also in Perthshire.
RSPB Scotland had raised concerns about a pair of ospreys which regularly nest on the grounds, along with other endangered birds such as kingfishers, red kites and barn owls.
However, the charity says it will not object to the proposals from DF Concerts to move the nest, despite its deep misgivings.
we remain disappointed with DF Concerts Limited’s minimalist and rather last minute approach to mitigating their impact on birds and wildlife
An alternative nest site will be constructed nearby - and conservationists hope the birds are attracted to it when they return to breed from Africa, which they are due to do soon.
The future of the festival could have been placed in jeopardy if the charity had objected.
It said it was disappointed at the event organiser’s approach to reducing impacts on birds and wildlife.
A spokesperson for RSPB Scotland said: “After detailed consideration of the proposals, we will not be objecting to the planning application to host T in the Park at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire.
“However, we remain disappointed with DF Concerts Limited’s minimalist and rather last minute approach to mitigating their impact on birds and wildlife.
“RSPB Scotland has been working with Scottish Natural Heritage and Perth and Kinross Council to advise on how they can reduce the impact of this major event on wildlife, particularly on the resident breeding ospreys. DF Concerts, the T in the Park promoters, plan to remove the existing nest and construct a new nest a few hundred metres away before the ospreys return for this breeding season.
This has been done successfully before and it is probable that the ospreys will simply move to the new nest site but this isn’t a perfect solution and doesn’t completely remove the risk of disturbance.
“Ospreys are one of Scotland’s most iconic species, and only 33 pairs bred in Perthshire last year. The site is also used by breeding kingfishers, red kites and barn owls, and our advice contains information on how to reduce impacts on all of these species.
“We are sure that the thousands of T-in-the-Park-goers would not want the festival to harm Scotland’s wildlife and the concert should be a model of best practice in this regard. We therefore look forward to hearing what additional measures DF Concerts will provide to offset any disruption that the concert itself, and the months of setting up, may cause.”
