Turbines huge threat to birds
South Wales Evening Post, www.thisissouthwales.co.uk 31 January 2012
In the excellent S4C wildlife series Antur y Gorllewin (Adventure of the West), Welsh naturalist Iolo Williams films wildlife along the western shores of mainland Europe, Iceland, Canaries and the Azores.
His latest programme on January 25 featured the thousands of birds that migrate between Europe to Africa every year.
Iolo could not disguise his disgust and anger when he showed us the 250-plus eyesore wind turbines on the hills above Tarifa, the southernmost point of mainland Spain near the Straits of Gibraltar.
These revolving guillotines are smack in the middle of the main migratory route for tens of thousands of birds, including large raptors, storks, cranes and vultures.
He claimed that 2,000 birds are killed annually by the rapidly spinning blades and the “stupidity of man”.
If viewers thought that the Tarifa turbines were atrocious, they should realise that far worse is coming to Wales.
Most of the 256 Tarifa machines are only about 150 to 180ft high. Under the Assembly’s TAN 8 proposals at least 500 (or maybe 800) monsters 400 to 470ft in height are headed for the far more verdant hills of Wales.
Our kestrels, owls, buzzards, hawks, black grouse, red kites are about to be confronted by far larger “killing fields”.
L J Jenkins
Clyn-yr-ynys
Gwbert
Cardigan
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/31/turbines-huge-threat-to-birds/