Collision with blade of 125-metre high wind turbine in Galloway proves fatal for three-year-old Golden Eagle

                                                                   

Eagle officer john wright with the dead bird - photo: South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project

A GOLDEN Eagle has died after colliding with one of 12 turbines at the Windy Rig windfarm near  Carsphairn in Galloway.

The three-year-old male bird is thought to have had  its left wing sliced off after flying into a rotating blade on one of the 125-meter high turbines.

The incident came to light because  a satellite tag was attached. The prone bird, known as Sparky to researchers,  was 15 metres from the turbine.

The cause of  death was confirmed by the Veterinary Investigation Centre at Scotland’s Rural College  in Dumfries. 

A series of tests - toxicology, histopathology, virology, bacteriology and parasitology - revealed that  the bird had been in good condition.

The assessment concluded that the bird's  fatal injuries were "typical of those associated with a wind turbine strike".

Planning consent for the windfarm was approved by Dumfries and Galloway Council in November 2018 despite misgivings about potential impact not just on Golden Eagles but also on Peregrines, Merlins and Red Kites which are also recorded in the area.

According to a report Golden Eagles were being seen "fairly regularly".

RSPB Scotland, which was involved in the pre-decision discussions, was relaxed about the development, though it cautioned on the welfare of Black Grouse where there had been historic records of leks in the vicinity.

There were few objectors to the application though Glasgow Prestwick Airport sought measures to ensure that the turbines would not interfere with their surveillance radar, while the Mountaineering Council of Scotland protested about the impact on the scenery.

One local resident, Martin Temple, expressed concern that the preliminary ornithological survey had not covered a sufficiently wide area 

Had Sparky not been tagged, it is highly unlikely the bird's fate would have come to light.

The chairman of Dumfries and Galloway Raptor Study Group, Chris Rollie, comments: "Evidence  has suggested Golden Eagles tend to avoid windfarms, but, without satellite tagging, incidents of this nature are hard to detect."

"This reinforces the urgent need for decision-makers to work closely with wildlife conservation groups as further windfarm approvals are sought."

The tagging was carried out by the Moffatt-based South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project which is currently fundraising to secure survival in advance of a proposed name-change, next year, to  RUN (Restoring Upland Nature).

The windfarm became operational in 2022.

More details about the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project and its fundraising appeal are at: https://www.goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk/

                                                      

The Wryneck says: Fatal bird strikes are said to be 'rare'. But it would surely be more accurate to describe them as 'rarely recorded'. Unless the victim has been satellite-tagged, collisions are unlikely to come to light. What happens, now, to Sparky? Perhaps his one-winged corpse should be preserved and mounted at some public place as a reminder that, whatever their benefits, turbines represent, alas, an abiding threat to flying birds.