Griffon Vulture and Spotted Eagle slowly cruising through Wind Turbines.

Today, October the 13th 2011, I made an excellent observation of an adult Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) flying south, followed by a single Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga). Birds were soaring over the main road E-87, just 1 km North of the town of Kavarna (North Bulgarian Black Sea cost), which is situated near the place where a Griffon Vulture was killed last year by wind turbines. I contacted the nearest wind park (AES St. Nikola) and required immediate shut down of the turbines.

Referring to the independent report produced by Dr. Felix Liechti from the Swiss Ornithological Insitute, it should be mentioned that "there is no existing windfarm within Europe constructed or planned to be constructed at a site as Cape Kaliakra with such a high density of soaring birds and with such a high risk for collisions".

In spite of the recommendations to withdraw all the current projects from the area, there are several projects planned to produce renewable energy by constructing more and more wind farms in the Coastal Dobrudga region without taking into account the significance of the Via Pontica flyway as one of the worldwide most important flyways for migratory birds.

Pavel SIMEONOV info@branta-tours.com