Planning Application Warrington 2011/17711
Location immediately north of M62 opposite M&S and IKEA
Height 77m
There is a family of Buzzards in North Warrington that can be seen patrolling along the Motorway Corridors at least as far west as Lingley Mere on the western boundary of Warrington. One of the young Buzzards (hatched last year?) has taken up residence in Westbrook and is seen roosting in the trees of Callands and on various lamposts on the spine roads of the new town.
The applicant say the RSPB indicated that the proposed location" is not likely to come into conflict with any important birds and did not wish to comment upon the application".
It occurs to me that the RSPB may not be aware of the Buzzards resident in North Warrington and more specifically that one is now resident in Westbrook less than a kilometre from the proposed turbine location in an area that the Buzzard would patrol looking for food i.e. open farm land.
I would welcome any advice on the significance of buzzards living in the same area as a proposed wind turbine and advice on how this situation has been considered or dealt with in similar planning applications. Do buzzards have any specific protection in law over and above that provided for birds generally?
I have to say that I found the video on You Tube of a Buzzard being hit by a Wind Turbine to be disturbing and upsetting.
Having a Buzzard sat on my garden fence is close to priceless and something I would miss even if it is not frequent.
Can anyone advise me on this matter?
Bernard Long
There is an 8 turbine windfarm along the A59 not far from us and it is not unusual to see both Common Buzzards ans Red Kite hunting the the rough grasslands around them.I have never heard of any injuries to birds by these yurbines but if it did happen no doubt there would be an outcry.This does not mean I like the idea of wind turbines but lets not get on that hobby horse.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Hope that my reply can give you some hope - but there was a windfarm application approved & completed near me about 5 years ago. Various objections were made against the turbines but the plan still went ahead. There are many raptor species present here & to date none have been injured or killed. I seem to remember many years ago when many birds were killed in Spain near wind turbines but these were tiny in comparison to the structures used near me. There are hen harriers hunting near, buzzards soaring & the turbines are on a direct route between osprey nests & lochs where they fish in spring & summer.
Hope this helps to put your mind at rest. The you tube video was hopefully a freak accident but all the same a worrying possibility.
Let us know how things progress near you
Best wishes
Val
One Life - Live It!!
Is this the video you are referring to?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na6HxKQQsAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RcTjdY1aN4&feature=related
This looks like the same bird so is definetley a vulture and not a buzzard as i first posted below.....
I kept looking at the video because the bird looked very large to be a Buzzard found in this country and when the camera closed in right at the end it looked much larger than a buzzard more like a vulture etc and the background scenery didn't look much like the British Isles..
Having said that though i did find the vide very distressing that such a magnificant bird could beinjured in this way.According to the comments posted the bird was rescued and made a good recovery which is a good thing.
There has been planning permission put in for six of them on the outskirts of our village that 99.9% of the village have strongly objected and we have had experts come to talk to the village and they say that the energy sspent building and erecting this great monsters costs far more and is more damaging to the enviroment than what is given back to the energy companies,plus they can't work when it is too windy etc.The life span of them it is reckoned is only 25 years anyway and it seems the only people who will make anything out of it is the land owners.....
Being Happy doesn't mean everythings perfect........
It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.....
Hiya,
There is debate as to whether or not wind farms badly affect birds, wither by strikes or displacement, but the RSPB has done some research (as well as other organisations). Take a look at these articles:
2009: http://www.rspb.org.uk/media/releases/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-230416
2011: http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/projects/details/205403-the-effects-of-wind-farms-on-upland-birds
Home again, home again.
Check it: http://sarahwestsblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Regional planning applications are handled by our conservation officers located in the respective regions, i would recommend contacting the relevant office directly, you can find the contact information here.
In short, the RSPB believes that wind technology when located in sensible places can be an effective addition to the network of renewable energy providers. However, if we believe that a wind turbine proposal is a threat to species or habitats we will do all we can to oppose the development. We also provide advice here on how to effectively protect local wildlife sites near you.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.