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During the installation of solar panel systems, it is common to encounter wildlife in the form of bird nests on the roofs. In many cases, especially in coastal locations, these are gulls that build nests at high altitudes.
Recently, Johan Braunerhielm, project manager at SBP, encountered such a situation during a solar panel installation on a commercial property in the Stockholm area. In this case, it also involved a red-listed Baltic gull with a chick, which created a situation that required extra care.
– Nesting birds can become aggressive to protect their nest and young. This was the case here. For us, the working environment for our installers is as important as protecting the environment in which we operate. You could rather see it as us intruding on their habitat.
Overall, it is out of consideration for the environment and nature, as well as the working environment during ongoing projects, that measures are required to ensure that neither animals nor people are harmed. With the customer's approval, the Bird Protection Group, a company that does not consider birds as pests, was called in to move the various nesting sites. The Baltic gull could be moved by physically carrying the bird visibly so that its parents could watch over the move and ensure that the chick was not harmed.
– The relocation of the chicks went very smoothly in this case, we also took the opportunity to remove the nest as the chicks were large enough and no eggs were being incubated, says Johan Braunerhielm and continues:
– For us at SBP, our mission for the environment is about so much more than just taking advantage of the sun's energy. It is about consideration, taking into account the whole picture, and that includes nature and wildlife. Therefore, in such situations, we prefer to resolve it as gently as possible for both the work and the birds.
