Author Topic: I'm curious! (Read 758 times)

Electron Pump · « **on:** March 01, 2009, 03:05:54 PM »

Has anyone ever heard of a windmill gettin a bird or anything. I would think they would steer wa clear. And dont birds traveling long distances fly pretty high. The ones flying across the sky that I have seen are way up there.

I figure this is the place to affirm or deny dis claim.

I had a stint where I was in th CB stuff. And I had a big antenna up threw the hole in the shop that has the windmill on it now. And there was a lot of times that when I keyed up that mike you would hear dink, dink, dinkk. If you went outside there would alwayse be a few dead birds around. At first I diddnt put it together, but when I was using my little foot warmer it was dinging enough RF to smoke birds.

I told a friend about this one night and he said look at this. He got out the ladder and went up on the roof with a florescent tube in his hand. He held it near the antenna and when I keyed the mike the florescent tube lit up. He said he was in comuntcations with the army and knew a few things bout radios. He said my mike was about the only part of my set-up that was legal.

I'm saying why dont they go after the CB guys. I mean the enviromentalists. The FCC probably has a 100lb of files on me. My qestion is has anyone ever seen a bird get hit by windmill blades.

bob g · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:04:40 AM »

these environmental midgets, won't be happy till we are all living in caves

actually they will be bitching and whining because we have to cut down tree's to cook and heat with in open pits, and have to kill furry animals to make our caveman outfits. (might not be all bad though, considering what rachel welsh looked like in her cavewoman outfit)

if a bird gets hit, he is probably genetically messed up to start with and would find his demise in some other fashion sooner or later anyway.

all of this whining is about nothing but taking money from and control of the masses.

to answer your question, no i have never seen a bird get hit by a windmachine, i am sure it happens but with no regularity.

just more of the same insanity from the whacko left

end of political rant

bob g

TomW · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:32:44 AM »

What Bob said!

The same idjits have likely killed multiple critters in their velocepede driving up to hug trees but they don't seem to be calling for a ban on motorized transportation?

Tom

DingBat · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:48:42 AM »

What about the poor defenseless millions of bacteria we step on everyday?

Won't anyone think of the bacteria?

thirteen · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:52:39 AM »

A couple of years ago there was some issues with some bats being hit by wind mills but I am not sure where in the USA this was. In some migratory flight paths they are limeting areas next to known resting areas. No wind mills within so many miles of know rest areas. These are bigger systems than most of us will ever do. mainly commercial wind farms. I'm in Montana,USA

thirteen · « **Reply #5 on:** March 01, 2009, 10:02:38 AM »

Here in Mt. we have a nice logo ( MATH = Montanans Aginest Tree Huggers )It seems more important to some that they complain about how we use certain things unless it benifits them. Nothing is more foolish than having a tree hugger interrupting manged forests logging and having them getting a new 3000 sq ft house being built out of wood at the same time. To each his own I guess. Wind is one of the few places where we can gather power using some common sence and all benifit.

windstuffnow · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2009, 10:42:41 AM »

There is some lobbying going on about putting graphic pictures on the meat you buy to discourage you from eating meat. I've got nothing against vegetarians, as with everything else ( religion, sexual preferences etc ) keep it to yourself and don't create laws based on opinions.

Gun laws are also under attack because of the animal activists for the same reason. I don't hunt but I do believe in the 2nd ammendment very strongly.

The way their "ramrodding" bills through the senate without any one even reading them is a downright crime...

On subject again, I've run wind turbines for many years now and have yet to see any dead birds because of them. Do you suppose the birds might burn their feet on the solar panels? We should ban them as well... maybe we should write bills for every single hazard that could ever happen then simply place ourselves in a water filled room with connections to breathe and eat for our entire lives.

Maybe they'll find a way to "TAX" the bird kills and simply impose statistical numbers in order to generate more revenue. Maybe, Just Maybe, its time to stop paying the open ended credit cards....

bj · « **Reply #7 on:** March 01, 2009, 11:31:45 AM »

Two and a half years with a screaming 5 footer--nary a feather. Swallows like to roost on the blades when there is no wind.

bj

bj · « **Reply #8 on:** March 01, 2009, 11:35:37 AM »

Twice on one post-record. Just north in Alberta, and read some on the

bat thing. The article said they are not being hit, but doing damage in

their lungs due to rapid pressure change. Considering a bat's ability

to miss a thread at full flight speed, I am dubious.

bj

hamitduk · « **Reply #9 on:** March 01, 2009, 11:49:48 AM »

Here is my account

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2008/12/10/0354/1302

But then there was that Jet in the Hudson, did not it take out two birds. The one that hit mine, I'm sure Darwin would agree it was on the top of his list, just below the DoDo and Bush, and I'm most certain it never felt a thing, and to use the it all so there was no waste, My cat ate it.

So in retrospect it is just a big cat feeder, maybe it is the cat food industry spreading these nasty rumors?

Hami

ghurd · « **Reply #10 on:** March 01, 2009, 12:08:03 PM »

A friend has a huge 100s of feet tall commercial tower in his pasture. He believes birds hit the guys, or enough birds congregate there where they die of natural causes.

The gun laws are under attack because the druggies are shooting each other.

It would make more sense to make the illegal drugs illegal.

Close all the pharmacies so they can not get the drugs?

Sue the pharmaceutical companies until they go out of business?

Makes as much sense!

G-

bobshau · « **Reply #11 on:** March 01, 2009, 12:49:38 PM »

My 20 foot diameter windmill is located in a pasture with relatively short grass next to our pond. Many ducks and geese frequent the pond steering clear of the 200+ rpm blades. I have yet to find any birds or bats dead in the grass as a result of a strike.

blessings and peace,

Bob S

Electron Pump · « **Reply #12 on:** March 01, 2009, 02:43:09 PM »

I want to thank everyone for commenting. You've confirmed my thoughts on the subject.

zap · « **Reply #13 on:** March 01, 2009, 02:49:58 PM »

"There is some lobbying going on about putting graphic pictures on the meat you buy..."

In the wind business it's called "windvertising"

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/perelloandcompany/36805/

If no "windvertising" money is available... put up a graphic of a building or maybe whatever bird is being killed, put up a graphic of it's worst enemy!

g reif · « **Reply #14 on:** March 01, 2009, 05:06:05 PM »

"these environmental midgets, won't be happy till we are all living in caves"

actually alot of my fellow right wingers are claiming this now because they do not want wind around by me, kind of sad, they don't care about birds just lie to use it as a way to keep thw ind away

bob golding · « **Reply #15 on:** March 01, 2009, 05:17:36 PM »

my wind turbine kills birds and other small mammals when it is not going round. the reason? the local bird of prey sits on the tower and gets a much higher vantage point than the trees or telegraph poles,so yes they can kill birds. never seen any fly into it when it is rotating though. the gulls do sometimes look alarmed when being blown backwards in a storm though but they always manage to avoid it.

bob

Crusader · « **Reply #16 on:** March 01, 2009, 06:16:05 PM »

Most bird kills are caused by running into skyscrappers. The reflective ones blind them and they fly right into them. Yes, it's just another excuse to keep us from solving our own problems and rely on THEM so they can control US. FYI, they want to tax dairy farmers and cattle ranchers for cow farts..LOL. Next they'll be telling us all to hold our breath cause we are spewing out too much CO2. And just incase you didn't know.....we've been in global cooling for the past 5 years..check for yourselves. Bet Al Gore takes the credit, you know he invented the internet don't you? Rant over

wdyasq · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2009, 06:46:38 PM »

The proper word now is BANANA-

BANANA is an acronym for Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything (or Anyone).

Ron

12AX7 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2009, 07:30:50 PM »

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/10/19/143928/05

it's been known to (not) happen!

dnix71 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:00:35 PM »

The Altamont Pass, California wind farm kills birds of prey, like eagles. It's on a known migration route and the towers are latticed. The birds eagles eat rest and hide in the towers and eagles like to nest in tall trees (and high voltage towers). Eagles nest on high voltage trasmission lines here in south Florida, but they don't seem to get fried. Monk parrots make huge nests on smaller poles near the warmth of transformers. FPL has to keep removing their nests.

Longer, slower, geared blades give birds a better chance of getting out of the way.

Even mirrored glass is deadly to birds. I worked in a warehouse/office with mirrored glass on one side and songbirds would fly into it and die before they realized it was a reflection and not the sky they were looking at. It was kind of sad to come out and see a bird waiting patiently for his/her mate to get up off the ground after smacking into the glass.

dnix71 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:09:53 PM »

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/common_misconce.php

This article explains it pretty well.

Guy wires don't just kill birds. Two small planes collided with tv station towers wires when I was in college in Gainesville. The first one might have been considered an accident, but when Biery and Rumble died, the station and the FAA got sued. The tower was just too close to a general avaition airport to be safe.

Biery was head of the Chem Eng department (I had left it to pursue Environmental Eng.), and Douglas Rumble was head of Civil Eng.

wooferhound · « **Reply #21 on:** March 01, 2009, 10:00:58 PM »

More bird and turbine stories . . .

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/295/Reindeer_vs_turbines.jpg

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/10/18/213955/21

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/11/30/225235/62

behoof · « **Reply #22 on:** March 02, 2009, 12:19:11 PM »

Electron Pump,

Wow am I ever disappointed...

The second I read your post I ran out to both of my towers to do a birdie count on the ground and I'll be darned, not one birdie did I find with footsies and belly button up!!!

Ahhh well, maybe the environ-MENTAL Nazis have some other way of coming up with stats n calamitous numb-bers??

I'll just have to keep watching...

Interesting point regarding starlings around here, they like to play with the taller mill by flying at it and swopping up up and away, just like they do with cars, too bad on cars there may be tall antennas attached, whoops... maybe I should get an antenna for my topside?

behoof <grin>

SparWeb · « **Reply #23 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:52:41 PM »

Hi,

Lots of bird droppings stuck to the blades. Not a single carcass. Windmill is inspected regularly, a dead bird would be noticed, tho not if a coyote came by in the night and nabbed it first.

I heard about the bats. It didn't sound like a lot were killed, and the "imploding lung" was still a mystery. The change in pressure as a WT blade passes can only be a couple of psi.

TomW · « **Reply #24 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:27:22 PM »

Just another curious turbine and bird story I experienced personally:

One nice, sunny warm day I was up on my 60 foot tower doing some work on the platform. I was standing fairly still wrenching on a bolt and happened to glance up at motion from my peripheral and there about 10 feet away was a Bald Eagle coming in for a landing. We both figured it out at the same millisecond, he flared away and I ducked. Eagles are big birds and thats as close as I need to be ever again. After I changed my underwear I went on to ground based chores for the rest of the day.

The Eagles and hawks regularly use my 60 footers catwalk as a perch for waylaying tiny defenseless creatures.

I will get some pictures some day of one or 2 on there but they split as soon as I show up so not easy to catch them on camera.

In my case I think the turbine helps large raptors survive. We fly 2 or 3 turbines and never a dead bird near them but the wildlife likely scavenges anything fresh and dead quickly. Nothing goes to waste in nature yaknow.

Just from here.

Tom.

wooferhound · « **Reply #25 on:** March 03, 2009, 07:14:23 AM »

""I'll be darned, not one birdie did I find with footsies and belly button up!!!""

Technically , Birds don't have Belly Buttons because they are hatched

But they do have Breasts

electrondady1 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 03, 2009, 08:00:05 AM »

from what i understand ,

you yanks only have 7% of your forest left. Ha!Ha!

i guess the birds are getting desperate to land on something .

TomW · « **Reply #27 on:** March 03, 2009, 08:23:15 AM »

E;

Good point.

We are the exception here. Only 11 acres or so of a bit over 400 acres that is not in timber. Thats some tillable and the house yard. The towers are on the south east edge of the tillable land. The 60 footer only clears the trees by a minimal amount. Raptors can see most if not all of the open land from it so it is ideal for them.

The most misunderstood thing about hardwood timber is that it actually produces more income than it would under cultivation once you factor everything in. Longer harvest cycle, no planting, no fertilizing, no real expense beyond harvest costs. Plus we get a big property tax break being a tree farm. Still waiting for my carbon credits though. That must only go to the politicians and robber barons? Oh we heat with wood so that dovetails nicely with timber farming.

Tom

Bruce S · « **Reply #28 on:** March 03, 2009, 10:30:37 AM »

that's another myth. The pine trees are winning that fight.

Since the logging people were told to clean up their act, there's far more forest now than there was say 20 years ago. It's now labeled as "managed" forestry instead of being natural. The trees are getting bigger too, since there's less fighting for sun space, the tress grow straighter too.

I am pretty sure I read where Sandia labs did a study on those deadly bird slappers :-)

& pretty much concluded that the California people in the early days didn't do a proper site survey like they do know and did just about everything wrong.

Right thought, just bad follow through.

One could always argue that putting up a tall pole gives the birds of prey and place to help lower the mice population "in harmony with nature".

Of course once the mice aren't around then my cats become prey :-/ and that's when it gets entertaining. Cats (2) black bird (0).

Owl (0) Cats run!! (0)

Cheers

Bruce S

tmcmurran · « **Reply #29 on:** March 05, 2009, 05:55:45 PM »

Dunno about others, but I am pretty sure that ours has not hit anything other then the odd bug. If it had I am more then sure the damage to the blades would have pointed this out to us by now. Really I would not mind too much if it was used to take out a few of them rats with wings, otherwise known as seaguls. But I think one of them would do a number on it that would cost more to replace then the joy obtained with one less gull.

BoroDave C · « **Reply #30 on:** March 06, 2009, 05:56:37 AM »

The bird kills come typically from massive wind mill farms and not the independent windmills like most on this site have. And when you hear "bird kills" you may envision a few "breast up" birds on the ground, but thats not the case. It's enough to deter pollination, and/or mosquito, black fly, and bug eating.

Thats the concern. Not a few dead birds that add up to what everyone killed on their way to work.

I am a environmentalist and wear it proud, but I'm also a realist unlike the so-called environmentalist dragged out on TV and the news that you see with their head in their ass wanna-be, "oh I drink oragnic latte's and vomit over the smell of cow patties"

You F with my water and F with my land and I'll F you up.

Excuse me but this Enviro-Mental-Nazi needs to drop 2 more red oaks to get me through the season, wait for a delivery of local pine trees so I can mill lumber for my house, and finish my waste oil burner. (I'll post photos later)

Sorry for the rant but it sucks there is zero tolerance for someone who actually would like to leave the place a little less toxic for their kids.

Buzz Hacksaw · « **Reply #31 on:** March 06, 2009, 07:41:12 AM »

I think far more birds are killed by running into windows. But this, although well known, will not be a forcable issue because the biggest cuplrits, large glassy structure are owned by corporations. Who rule! As noted above statistics will be inserted at some time in the future so that a goverment profit center can be established.

I did some reasearch of our Canadian Federal, provincial and local, school boards, motor vehicles dept. etc. They are all listed on Dunn and Brad Street as Corporations. For profit entities. Likely the same for American equivalants.

I was shocked. But this expains a lot. Our efforts here will always be thwarted because we fly in the face profit.

Buzz

thirteen · « **Reply #32 on:** March 06, 2009, 04:06:16 PM »

I get mother earth magazine I just got an article that might help it is at

admin+motherearth@ipost.com I did this from memory. It doen't realy tell much but something. I have the best memory it's just short.

News:

Author Topic: I'm curious! (Read 758 times)