Hi Carl and others
I have done some consulting work here in Queensland assessing the potential
for bird strikes at possible wind farms sites. I have also worked on raptor
migration surveys in southern Spain where wind turbines are a big problem
for Griffon Vultures and there are significant mortalities each year. I
have seen several dead Griffon Vultures under wind turbines myself and
watched heart in mouth as flocks of up to 50 negotiated rows of turbines.
Big soaring vultures that eat dead things on the ground do not have the
manoeuvrability of a falcon or goshawk. Researchers were working on the
problem and looking at ways of addressing it. In that area of Spain
(Andalusia) there were literally thousands of wind turbines. Many
environmentally minded locals were anti turbines, not only because of the
loss of visual amenity but because of the environmental damage done in the
installation and servicing of the turbines. Many were in wilderness type
landscapes and each has a service road to it. This causes erosion, lets in
hunters and their domestic animals and allows weed and exotic plant
infestation.
In Australia we can learn from issues such as this and hopefully minimise
damage to the local environment where windfarms may be situated. The
problems of birdstrike on windturbines is certainly much less here than in
places such as Europe and north America.
Cheers
Roy Sonnenburg
PS Each turbine can generate enough power for about 40 -50 'normal' homes.
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