Wherever the wind industry plies it subsidy-soaked trade, there’s a wave of avian carnage, and offshore is no exception.
While Greta & Co fret about global incineration and mass extinctions, the wind industry is doing a very fine job of extinguishing millions of birds and bats, every year. Indeed, entire species are under threat, including Europe’s Red Kite and Tasmania’s Wedge Tailed Eagle.
Plans to erect thousands more of these things around Britain’s coasts, spell the death knell for millions of seabirds, with several species under threat.
The offshore wind industry is already exacting a phenomenal toll on a whole range of seabirds in the waters surrounding Britain, including the Lesser Black-backed gull, as Jason Endfield details below.
Alarming 99% Decline In Gulls Raises Questions Over Expanding Wind Farms
Jason Endfield Blog
Jason Endfield
6 May 2022
A shocking 99% decline in the population of Lesser Black-backed gulls raises serious questions over the impact of industrial wind farm development in the North Sea.
Huge wind farms nearby
The alarming reduction in the numbers of breeding birds at Suffolk’s Orford Ness coastal reserve has been noticed over several years, and so is probably the result of many contributing factors – but we cannot ignore the fact that two vast areas of wind turbines lie just off the coast.
Massive industrial wind turbines have been operating in the vicinity since the Greater Gabbard wind farm was completed back in 2012, joined by the Galloper wind farm’s array of 56 huge turbines in 2018. With plans announced for even more industrial wind development in the area, the seas off the Suffolk coast could soon prove to be deadly for many species.
“Not clear” why numbers dropped so dramatically
The National Trust which manages the Orford Ness reserve told the East Anglian Daily Times that “In recent years we’ve seen [LBB Gull] numbers dwindle even further, which means we need to do more to protect them.” They said that “it’s not clear why numbers dropped so dramatically”, pointing out that disturbance from visitors to the site is ‘almost certainly’ one cause.
Species especially vulnerable to turbine collisions
It has been well established that Lesser Black-backed gulls are especially vulnerable to collision with wind turbines. A 2019 study by the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) used GPS tracking to show that the species is particularly at risk from turbine blades during migration and in winter months.
Key data ‘ignored’ in some planning assessments
A recent study by the Zoological Society of London, focusing on wind farm development off the Welsh coast, pointed out the UK has some of the best seabird monitoring anywhere in the world, but lamented that “key data is being ignored during offshore windfarm planning assessments.”
Project to protect remaining birds…….. funded by wind farm
Now, as the local Orford Ness LBB gull population has dwindled to just 210 breeding pairs, a project has finally been initiated, aimed at protecting the remaining birds. Two ‘gull officers’ have been appointed to monitor the site and ‘raise awareness’ among the local community in an attempt to limit human encroachment on the gulls’ territory.
The cynical among us might feel uncomfortable that these ‘gull officer’ positions have been funded by…. the Galloper Offshore Wind Farm. It seems a little ironic that the wind industry is financing the project, rather than the National Trust which manages the site.
Catastrophic threat to sea birds
Raising awareness of the gulls’ decline is welcome, but I fear that the project is a drop in the ocean and will do little to protect the gulls from the obvious and potentially catastrophic threat lurking offshore.
With the frenzied expansion of the wind industry in Britain’s seas, we must acknowledge that the tragic decline in seabirds might not be caused solely by local environmental effects – but also by direct impact, quite literally, from the huge wind turbines that continue to proliferate around our coasts.
A two year bird survey programme, carried out as part of Galloper Wind Farm’s marine licence obligations, will conclude in June 2022 and report to the Government’s Marine Management Organisation. I don’t know if the results of these surveys will be made public, but if so then it will be interesting to see how the wind farm has affected bird populations since its operations began.
Meanwhile we can only hope that the Orford Ness gull project will not only raise local awareness, but also highlight the real plight of birds being decimated at sea by the expanding presence of the offshore wind industry.
Jason Endfield Blog
STOP THESE THINGS 
The Portland offshore wind farm proposal in SW Victoria Australia illustrates just how massive the renewable energy footprint would need to be to sustain a small community of around 10,000 people. When you combine these facilities with the onshore wind farms that have already displaced local residents, and nobody seems to care much about their human rights, the energy footprint from only 10,000 people will be vast. Hardly a ‘sustainable’ business model.
The local environment will also suffer including whales, seals, wedge-tailed eagles, brolgas, albatrosses, bats, etc. Local fishing grounds and tourism interests relating to the Bonney Upwelling may also be impacted, especially with the massive electrical cables that are likely to be placed on the ocean floor, and the navigational hazards presented to ships and trawlers which begs the question, will these offshore wind developments have lights? The region could be impacted in ways previously thought unimaginable and, in my opinion, all in an effort to cater for what must be the biggest corporate scam in history… Climate Change!
Or should that be Y2K 2.0?
Climate Change is a tool that is being used to introduce the planet to a system of one world government, or in other words CONTROL! Just look at how Climate Change was used politically in the recent Australian federal election. One of the biggest giveaways to this social experiment would appear to be, again in my opinion, what’s the most common greeting you are likely to talk about with a total stranger?
The weather!
Beautiful day today.
And yet, there is a simple solution that could resolve all of the potential environmental destruction in and around the Portland region. 3rd, 4th or even 5th generation nuclear energy. Just one strategically placed facility would render these wind turbines as irrelevant, outdated and obsolete. Humanity could get back to fully utilising a 21st Century energy generation system that is more centralised and reliable. We should only ever replace something with a more reliable, safe and efficient option. With the current forms of existing and proposed decentralised renewable energy projects, we are going backwards, and at a time when we are going to need more electricity due to an ever growing global population. Now is the time to bring nuclear to the table, and I believe Portland could be a perfect case study and an example in reducing the renewable energy footprint on both society and the environment.
As for the weather. The weather does what the weather wants.
That is until you build a wind farm!
What’s the source of the severed head picture?
A wind turbine blade was the source of the dead seagull, the photo came from James Delingpole’s blog.
Meanwhile, low frequency sound of them is upsetting the navigation of whales and dolphins causing mass strandings and the magnetic fields from the electrical connectors of the murderous things are wreaking havoc with the crustaceans and molluscs.
Gee, I don’t know what’s killing the bird’s. While in the background they are being sliced and diced. Look away from the carnage.