Do manmade noise and light harm songbirds in New Mexico's oil fields? These researchers want to know (A California research team is conducting a five-year ecological study of six songbird species in northwestern New Mexico oil fields)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Oct 25, 2023 | Associated Press

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE — A California research team is conducting a five-year ecological study of six songbird species in northwestern New Mexico oil fields to see how sensory intrusions affect the birds’ survival, reproduction and general health.

The Santa Fe New Mexican says the study by avian researchers from California Polytechnic State University will zero in on the specific impacts of noise and light pollution.

As the human population swells and generates more light and sound, researchers are curious about how those multiplying stressors might compound the challenges of climate change in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin, the newspaper reported.

Clint Francis, an ecology professor at California Polytechnic, said early studies that examined whether excessive noise and light decreased bird populations were done in more urban settings, where the birds were threatened by prowling cats, toxic chemicals and speeding cars.

The next step is to isolate either noise or light in a rural area to see how one or the other affects the songbirds, Francis said.

[CedarDave]

What a bunch of crap. Most northwest NM oil and gas wells are isolated in the arid desert of the sprawling Navajo reservation that is generally devoid of trees. Birds, if they even exist nearby, might roost in trees at homes occupied by isolated Navajo families. Forty years ago when my job took me out to the oil fields there, I remember being stranded one night by flash floods from monsoon rains. There was total silence at night, but wait, later and in the far distance the sound of Indian drums could be heard. I admit it did cause a small chill up my spine.

[CedarDave]

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for FR member use; its use in the News Forum should not be for trivial or inconsequential posts. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, you are allowed a number of free article views.)

[Olog-hai]

Research teams harm songbirds.

[Scrambler Bob]

Windmills are quiet.

Do they harm any birds?

[samkatz]

$900K of our tax dollars down the toilet.NSF is a giant welfare program for useless researchers. So what if they find that these activities mess with birds? Are they going to stop them?

[metmom]

They’ll decide it does because any excuse to shut down oil production will do.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I worked at an outdoor shooting range here and the birds adapted fine to the noise, including on the shotgun range where both ravens and owls nested within 20 yards (behind) the shooting position on station 3. Had plenty of hawks and falcons, when the draininge ponds were full ducks, sandhill cranes, and once a blue heron.

[CedarDave]

Windmills are quiet. Do they harm any birds?

A heck of a lot more than those affected by oil and gas well footprints on the landscape! But you can't do anything to interrupt the narrative that the source of all global warming/climate change problems are fossil fuels.

[piytar]

Hey jerks, how about do a study of all the birds including endangered species such as eagles killed by “green” wind farms? Oh sorry, no grant money for that and does not fit you paid-for meme, ya bunch of frauds.

[Bikkuri]

Californians harm the rest of the USA (very few exceptions).

[piytar]

Know you know this, but thought a couple links might be helpful:

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/06/1091250692/esi-energy-bald-eagles

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/7/28/23282337/the-wicked-story-of-clean-wind-energy-and-raptors-birds-prey-bald-eagle-golden-turbines-farms

I can provide more if asked.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Windmills are quiet.”

No they are NOT quiet. They are very noisy. They make a repetitive low frequency / infrasound noise that will drive you absolutely crazy. Low frequency sounds are non-directional so if feels like the entire space around you is alive with the sound.

The sound originates from the blades passing through the “wind shadow” behind the tower.

Many ranchers have had to leave their homes when wind farms are built nearby.

[redshawk]

Soylent Green is People

[piytar]

My comments esp. “jerks” obviously were not directed toward you, CedarDave.

[piytar]

Those low frequencies happen to travel through ground very well and then into the ocean. Those frequencies happen to fall with the range of sonar used by dolphins and whales, disorienting them and causing a lot of death.

So "save the whales" and "save the dolphins" has been discard on the temple of the climate change hoax pseudo religion.

[piytar]

discarded not discard...

[linMcHlp]

bkmk

[marron]

An oil field is essentially a large wildlife refuge. No hunting allowed, and aside from the roads and drill pads, there are no people.

[EastTexasTraveler]

“These researchers want to know”

No they don’t. They want to make it up. We all know what “results” they will find.

[DouglasKC]

I’m pretty sure they would fly away if they were bothered.