Abstract
This began as a proof-of-concept study to determine how the Multi Sensor Wildlife Detection System, or MUSE, performs offshore. The MUSE system includes an S-band radar and thermal and video cameras, and is intended to monitor bird and bat activity in the vicinity of the wind turbines. Although small in scale (bird activity around two of the turbines was recorded) and subject to radar masking effects, findings from the study provided valuable information about how birds interact with wind turbines. First, no collisions were detected during over 20,000 hours of monitoring between 2018 and 2021. Second, avoidance of the rotor swept area was detected at the micro and meso scales, with birds tending to stay 300-400 meters from operational turbines. Valuable data on avian phenology (time of year activity), local movement patterns (including flight direction and flight height), and nocturnal vs. diurnal activity patterns were also obtained.