Spurious claims

One of the favourite, if spurious, claims of the anti-wind farm protester is that turbines are injurious to the bird life of the Highlands. To 
back up their dubious surveys, they of course turn to those most iconic of the 
region’s avian population, the hawks.

Could one of them please explain then why there has been a small increase in the number of breeding pairs of golden eagles over the past 20 years, according to the 
latest survey conducted by Scottish National Heritage and the RSPB (your report, 13 February)?

After all, these are the same two decades that have seen hundreds of turbines popping up in areas that protesters claim to be in the direct path of these magnificent birds.

Perhaps the eagles are using the turbines as useful resting points to seek out prey and better conserve their energy.

Julia Wait

Tomich

Highlands