Specialisms

Daniel's principal specialisms are: 

• Ecological/Environmental Clerk of Works (ECoW)
• Bat ecology and surveying
• Ornithology surveys - particularly in relation to Ireland's passerines, raptors, seabirds, waders, and waterfowl
• Habitat surveying and the classification of habitats both to Fossitt (2000) categories and the identification of EU Annex I habitats
• Invasive Alien Plants Species (IAPS) surveys

Bats

Daniel is a trained bat ecologist, including internal and external building roost inspection, tree roost identification and inspection training, and endoscope training. He has prepared derogation licences for bat species and for bat roosts, and overseen the discharge of licence obligations.

He has conducted bat surveys for large infrastructure projects within Ireland, as well as targeted species-specific and protect species surveys on behalf of private clients and ENGOs; from AA, NIS, EcIA, and EIAR ecology reports for construction, infrastructure, forestry, solar, and wind farm projects, to conservation initiatives for national wildlife groups and individual clients.

Daniel has also volunteered with Bat Conservation Ireland (BCI) and the Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT), respectively, on a variety of Bat conservation initiatives, and has advised clients, local ENGOs and Citizen Scientists on Bat surveying techniques, Bat Box Schemes, and mitigation measures.

Most recent bat Surveys include: PRF Assessment and Emergence Surveys, Co. Kerry (2026) Fitzgerald Ecology; PRF Assessment and Emergence Surveys, Co. Navan (2026) Fitzgerald Ecology; Bat Activity Surveys Lisdaran, Co. Cavan (2026) Flynn Furney; Clare Glens Roost Assessment (2026) Flynn Furney; Abbeyleix Roost Assessment (2026) Fitzgerald Ecology; Coillte forest site (2025 - 2026), Kerry Solar Farm (2025 - Ongoing); Ballyfeeny, Crag, Milane Hill, and Killadeer windfarms (2024 – 2025); the N6 GCRR (2023); Ballinasloe Strategic Housing Project (2022); Various Solar and Wind Farm projects in Cork, Clare, Tipperary, Meath, and Offaly, respectively, on behalf of Entrust Planning Services (2020-2022) and ESB (2022); N59 Moycullen Bypass (Wills) (2022 – 2023); and N5 Turlough to Westport (Wills-BAM (JV) and RPS) (2019).

Birds

As an Ornithologist, Daniel has carried out numerous large-scale avifauna projects across Ireland, including infrastructure projects for national roads, wind farms, solar farms, and other Planning Applications.

He is experienced in avifauna species identification and classification and has routinely undertaken wintering, breeding, and passage bird surveys to inform impact assessments for numerous development types.

Daniel has both surveyor and project manager experience in a range of different bird survey types including breeding bird surveys (including raptors), vantage point (VP) surveys (including Hen Harrier breeding/roosting surveys), wintering bird surveys, and targeted species surveys.

Ornithological surveys for wind turbine developments, solar farms, and other large scale infrastructure projects (2016 – Ongoing).

Conducted surveys include: Vantage Point (VP) counts, summer/CBS, hinterland, feeding distribution, general breeding, and wintering bird surveys, as well as specialised wader and single species surveys such as Woodcock, Barn Owl, Hen Harrier, Merlin, and other raptors, in Counties Galway, Cork, Clare, Tipperary, Meath, Kerry, and Offaly, respectively. Most recently at sites in Co. Tipperary, Co. Mayo, and Co. Kerry (2025 - Ongoing), Ballyfeeny, Crag, Milane Hill, and Killadeer windfarms (2024 – 2025), Solar Farms in Co. Cork/Clare/Offaly/Tipperary/Meath/Kerry (2022 - ongoing), among other sites.

Avian Collision Risk Modelling at various Windfarms 2022-2025 (FuturEnergy, BioSphere Environmental Services, Greensource, EDF).

Provided Collision Risk Modelling to Wind farm sites. Target species included Woodcock, Barn Owl, Hen Harrier, Red Kite, and Merlin, and other upland birds and raptors. Most recently at Ballyfeeny, Crag, Milane Hill, and Killadeer windfarms (2024 – 2025).

Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW)

Daniel has invaluable construction site experience and has worked both full-time as an Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) and/or as a 'specialist-on-request' providing advice on protected species to clients and contractors while onsite at infrastructure projects, across all project phases (from feasibility, constraints and options selection, through design, evaluation and statutory process, to construction and implementation), for over nine years.

Through which, he has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the intricacies, complexities and multidisciplinary nature of designing, assessing and mitigating the impacts of infrastructure projects on biodiversity.

Recent ECoW projects have included, but are not limited to:

OMC Group 2025 (various Housing Developments in Co. Galway, including Hotel expansions); N59 Moycullen Bypass 2021 – 2023 (Wills); N17 R320 Lisduff Junction Upgrade 2022 – 2023 (BAM); Bective Hotel, County Meath 2021 - 2023 (Veon Ecology); N5 Turlough to Westport, 2019 - 2020 (Wills BAM JV/RPS); M17/M18 Gort to Tuam, 2016-2017 (Public Private Partnership (PPP)).

Daniel is a Full member of The Association of Environmental Clerk of Works (AEnvCoW) in Ireland. He is currently undergoing modular training for CIEEM's Accreditation for Ecological Clerks of Works.