Tag Archives: wildlife

April 12, 2026 · 9:00 am

#HeadlineTherapy Two new studies could change critics’ opinions about how many birds die from wind turbines

Thank you to Diana Resnik from Online Euronews for the Headline

I was fascinated to hear the results of a survey completed in Aberdeen Bay which measured actual behaviour in the immediate vicinity of wind turbines combining AI-powered (is this not virtual reality?) and detailed expert analysis to prove that not one bird was injured in a collision with one of the blades. Result eh?

Also the German Offshore Wind Energy Association(BWO ) has commissioned a study involving one and a half years of research and monitored with the help of radar and AI based cameras four million bird movements which showed that 99.8per cent of migratory birds reliably avoided the wind turbines. Clever birds!

It seems that there is a conflict between the Bird Watchers and the Climate Change Protestors, both support the idea of “wind farms” and both want to work together to protect Nature and the Environment

The Bird Watchers in Germany have suggested politely keeping the site of a wind turbine at least 6000 metres from the nest of a “lesser spotted eagle” as they say there is a danger to native bird species. This recommendation is included in the “Helgoland Paper”. Have you heard of it ? Neither have I?

However, the first survey referred to in the article comes from Vattenfall(One of Europe’s largest producers and retailers of electricity and heat) and Spoor( a High tech AI and Camera Visualisation method for analysing Bird Behaviour near Windfarm Blades).

The Vattenfall and Spoor survey, the name which sounds a bit like a weird Dickens Law Firm in “Bleak House” comes out , not surprisingly in favour of the Wind Farms and their rotating blades. It also has the gravitas for the cameras , but perhaps not the conclusions of the full report to be verified by the British Ornithological society.

This is by no means the end of the story , let’s face it common sense would say that birds are going to collide with things that are flying through the air that they aren’t expecting to be there. Just like whales will always get stranded and animals will fall sick.

It’s keeping people busy finding out what the real impacts are. Humans are the bees in this, the reward the nectar of low-cost , sustainable energy, hopefully the results will not be bleak.

Line of offshore wind turbines in the sea at sunset with seagulls flying overhead
Seagulls fly over offshore wind turbines glowing in the sunset light

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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December 20, 2025 · 9:58 am

#HeadlineTherapy Paragliders have lucky escape after landing near polar bear enclosure in Staffordshire

Thanks to ITV News Online for the Headline

What a surprise for the Polar Bears from a Wildlife Park in Staffordshire to have two paragliders careering down at them only to turn off at the last minute and miss the enclosure and land safely.

Penny for the Polar Bears thoughts. Their protests at the intrusion into their territory would be in Swedish as they were rescued from a Wildlife Park in Sweden after unfortunately it was closed about four years ago. So no one would have understood them, much as they probably didn’t understand the aerial intrusion. Unless they thought Christmas had come early and dinners were dropped in from the sky. A Polaroo…..

I can well imagine what the gliders were thinking. ” Jeez, we’ve got too close there’s no thermals here. We’re losing height, it was your idea to oggle at the polar bears for free!” Still any disagreements about their situation were postponed till after they had landed safely out of reach of a few tonnes of white furry claws and teeth. Their skill at maneuvering their fantastic flying machines were tested to the limit and thank heavens they didn’t land on any of the enclosures fencing .As this would have meant not only costly repairs but also a possible Polar Bear jaunt, hence the option of using a method that would probably give the bears a sleepy headache but otherwise keep them safe. Thankfully, there were rangers about with the necessary equipment so that they could anaesthetize the bears should it prove necessary. Although it would stop them from travelling , it wouldn’t have stopped them from having a paraglider lunch.

Thankfully the paragliders managed to divert and I hope the Peak Wildlife Park ask for a large donation for the inconvenience and also for the attempt at trying to see the polar bears for free.

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December 6, 2024 · 2:14 am

Wildness

Do you ever see Wild Animals?

Yes, squirrels and pigeons, both of who have a hereditary history around here. I don’t think the ones I see can be over 30 years old and I have been watching their antics now for all that time. I suppose it must be sequential generations.

The pigeons certainly have a familiar look about them. There is always the brave one, who will stand behind me while I fill their bowl in the garden with mixed corn, once the brave one has had their fill , the others can eat. The brave one looks you in the eye and wing flaps to be fed. The others aren’t quite so bolshy.

The squirrels are grey ones of course, I hope I never find an injured one, because they would have to be euthanised as they are not regarded as native to this Country. They certainly seem pretty native to me .

Anything that roams or flies freely around is a gift to me if I see it. Let’s face it most healthy wild animals want to stay out of sight of predators. Unfortunately, humans are the top weapon assisted arrogant predator.

Wild birds are something I see the most often. Red Kites fly around here a lot, they were successfully bred in Wales and have worked their way eastwards and now are commonly sighted in Oxfordshire. I ‘m not sure about their predation, my understanding is they are scavengers, but they hover around us and my husband is convinced they will predate small cats or possibly pet rabbits in gardens, or maybe small birds or baby squirrels. Why hang around here if not for food.

Hedgehogs live around here too, and we have seen our rather large ” Daddy” hedgehog at night, but no hoglets. So I think we have a solitary male living under our shed and doing the rounds probably impregnating females and doing his upmost to continue the species, but definitely maintain his independence.

I’ve seen non-native deer and native deer on my dog walks and was once told by a woman with a three legged spaniel that her dog lost it’s leg after going after a deer and coming off worse, the muntjac (non-native) having turned and bit the spaniel’s leg which subsequently got infected.

Wild animals are wild and pets are pets. We need pets as companions, but a wild animal is it’s own master, and though when times are bad their life may be harsh or indeed catastrophic. They are a life- force to be admired and respected.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading

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