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Birdwatchers see rare swift killed by wind turbine
The Telegraph via FARK.COM ^ | 6/27/2013 | Simon Johnson

Posted on 06/27/2013 10:54:13 PM PDT by prisoner6

Dozens of birdwatchers who travelled to a Scottish island to see an extremely rare swift have been left distraught after it was killed by a wind turbine.

Around 40 people were watching the White-throated Needletail, the world's fastest flying bird, on the Isles of Harris when the tragedy happened.

Sightings of the bird have only been recorded eight times in the UK in nearly 170 years, most recently in 1991, prompting around 80 ornithologists to visit the island in the hope of catching a glimpse.

David Campbell, from Surrey, told BBC Scotland the incident took place late on Wednesday afternoon. Speaking as he made his way home, he said: “We just watched the whole thing with dismay."

Josh Jones, of Bird Guides, a specialist website for ornithologists, said he had spoken to witnesses, who had seen the bird fly straight into one the turbine’s blades. He said: “It is ironic that after waiting so long for this bird to turn up in the UK it was killed by a wind turbine and not a natural predator.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: decompression; energy; environmentalists
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To: Elle Bee
Actually the hottest job in the country right now for ornithologist is working for utility companies counting, and establishing taxonomy of birds whacked by these monstrocites.

Just another one of those unintended consequences. :)

41 posted on 06/28/2013 4:29:34 AM PDT by catfish1957 (Face it!!!! The government in DC is full of treasonous bastards)
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To: LucyT

We have been seeing more and more of them lately. Have one (don’t know if it’s the same one) perches near the top of the tallest pine in our yard. Beautiful.


42 posted on 06/28/2013 4:33:50 AM PDT by Rushmore Rocks
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To: prisoner6
Closing paragraph of the corresponding article over at the Daily Mail (UK):

It is not the first time a bird-watching trip has ended in tragedy. On a previous outing, a group of twitchers in the Hebrides had seen a migratory wryneck hit by a train.

Well, if it's not one thing it's another (and if "twitchers" does NOT mean bird watchers, I probably DON'T want to know...).

43 posted on 06/28/2013 4:36:46 AM PDT by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
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To: SaxxonWoods

Saving the planet. One rare bird at a time.

Idiots.


44 posted on 06/28/2013 4:53:18 AM PDT by autumnraine (America how long will you be so deaf and dumb to thoe tumbril wheels carrying you to the guillotine?)
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To: SaxxonWoods
"The bats fly past the blades just fine and die when the turbulence crushes their lungs. "

This is quite hard for me to believe, got a link? Wind isn't highly concentrated energy, short of a violent storm. The windmill extracts energy from the wind or it would not work. It seems unlikely there is enough pressure to crush an animal with a very small surface area.

I once read you can hit a bat by swinging a stick in the air, but it never worked for me when I tried in my more mischievous days.

Now, as a sort of penance, I have two bat houses on the sides of my house.

45 posted on 06/28/2013 5:28:09 AM PDT by HangThemHigh (Entropy's not what it used to be.)
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To: Moltke
It is not the first time a bird-watching trip has ended in tragedy. On a previous outing, a group of twitchers in the Hebrides had seen a migratory wryneck hit by a train.

Well, if it's not one thing it's another (and if "twitchers" does NOT mean bird watchers, I probably DON'T want to know...).

Given that there are no trains in the Hebrides, that was quite an achievement.

46 posted on 06/28/2013 5:47:01 AM PDT by Winniesboy
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To: Nailbiter

well done...


47 posted on 06/28/2013 5:59:20 AM PDT by IncPen (When you start talking about what we 'should' have, you've made the case for the Second Amendment)
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To: max americana
So it wasn’t swift enough to avoid the fan?

Yes, the swift hit the fan.

Isn't this Darwin's theory at work? If you are too stupid to avoid a 100' blade,you shouldn't breed.

So, why are the lib bird watchers so upset?

The bird died to prevent global warming. Libs should take a clue.

48 posted on 06/28/2013 6:06:50 AM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: SaxxonWoods

Very interesting, many thanks for the info!


49 posted on 06/28/2013 6:24:13 AM PDT by WildHighlander57 ((WildHighlander57 returning after lurking since 2000))
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To: JennysCool

What movie was it?


50 posted on 06/28/2013 6:26:01 AM PDT by WildHighlander57 ((WildHighlander57 returning after lurking since 2000))
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To: SaxxonWoods

I used to hate bats until I heard that one bat can eat 50-80 thousand insects in a night. I looked it up. Some say that’s it but the real numbers are in the 4 digit range. Still plenty to make me like them now.


51 posted on 06/28/2013 6:29:18 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
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To: prisoner6

How much more cost do you think it will be when the government makes the power companies put a shield around the blades like a regular fan???????????????

BOHICA Again!!!!!!!!!!!


52 posted on 06/28/2013 6:30:17 AM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (Tastes like Heaven, Burns like Hell! Mmmmmm. What is it?)
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To: Winniesboy
Ha! I was about to add, "who knew they have trains on those little islands?" ...but didn't.

More quality reporting by the Daily Mail. Or perhaps it was a wind turbine disguised as a train.

53 posted on 06/28/2013 7:27:22 AM PDT by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
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To: lurk

Even better if someone got a video of it. It would seem out of 80 people watch there has to be at least one.


54 posted on 06/28/2013 7:44:00 AM PDT by Balding_Eagle (When America falls, darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
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To: raybbr
Good grief! Another post with dialog without naming the movie or play or whatever. Posters who do this should be banned for a month.

Lol. It's sort of an inside joke for those who've seen the movie. Those who haven't won't relate anyway.

You can always do a search on the dialog and find out the movie, which in this case is "The Men Who Stare at Goats."

If you haven't seen it, rent it! I found it highly entertaining. In fact, I think it's about time to see it again.

55 posted on 06/28/2013 8:51:59 AM PDT by Jeff Winston
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To: raybbr
Here. This should get you started. :-)
56 posted on 06/28/2013 9:03:34 AM PDT by Jeff Winston
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To: prisoner6

Maybe they should put warning labels on these things. Translated, of course, into the language of every possible bird species.


57 posted on 06/28/2013 9:08:54 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: HangThemHigh

Sorry, don’t have a link. My BiL is a retired research engineer, rather famous for his nuclear rocket fuel work. He started studying wind turbines after a wind farm went in behind his house and has testified before the Idaho State Legislature on the issue. He’s the one who gave me the information.


58 posted on 06/28/2013 3:17:49 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (....Let It Burn...)
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To: HangThemHigh

Sorry, don’t have a link. My BiL is a retired research engineer, rather famous for his nuclear rocket fuel work. He started studying wind turbines after a wind farm went in behind his house and has testified before the Idaho State Legislature on the issue. He’s the one who gave me the information.


59 posted on 06/28/2013 3:24:10 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (....Let It Burn...)
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To: HangThemHigh

Do the rotating blades possibly disrupt the bat’s radar system?


60 posted on 06/28/2013 3:26:18 PM PDT by catfish1957 (Face it!!!! The government in DC is full of treasonous bastards)
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