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Red Kites death threaten Wales Wind Farms |
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At first, it was dismissed as another routine, if tragic, death. The dismembered body of one of Britain's rarest birds, the red kite, had been found on a remote hillside, its right wing efficiently severed.
Local enthusiasts, saddened by the loss of the bird they had christened Filled Heart, launched an investigation. Now their findings have triggered a rebellion among ornithologists which threatens to derail Tony Blair's attempts to tackle climate change. It could thwart a £1 billion investment in building wind farms across Britain. The death of Filled Heart is also blamed for a series of impending lawsuits against planned wind turbines, which some believe could reduce bird populations to the extent that internationally recognised nesting sites lose their global importance. Filled Heart's body was found close to a major Wales wind farm. A detailed inspection by vets concluded its injuries were consistent with being slashed by a giant turbine blade. The synopsis offered the first proof that Britain's army of birdwatchers had been dreading: endangered species were being shredded in the 'killer blades' of huge turbines that can travel at up to 300kph. Now, a year after its death, Filled Heart has also precipitated an unprecedented spat among the green lobby. For conservationists, the red kite has become an unlikely martyr in the fight against wind farms. For the environmentalists who argue the loss of a few birds is a worthy sacrifice if it means reducing the impact of global warming, Filled Heart remains a powerful nemesis. 'It might have been only one bird, but because the red kite is such a rarity it has tended to polarise views and has raised real questions about the siting of turbines,' said Rowena Langston, research biologist for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds....."........more information >> Red Kite Critically Injured By Wind Turbine >> Return to Wales News Homepage
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