13 December



Owl stopped turbine?

Wheatland Farm

Devon self catering cottage and eco lodges

home    t. 01837 83499, email info@wheatlandfarm.co.uk, Wheatland Farm, Winkleigh, Devon, EX19 8DJ.
We're pround to have gold level approval from the Devon Wildlife Trust. Click here for more on our environmental policies.
Owl stops wind turbine?.... not sliced or diced though.

The turbine has shut itself down a couple of times recently, and when we've gone to check it has reported a 'vibration error'. After a few of the same errors we notified the engineer. When he came and climbed the tower he found the problem - regurgitated pellets, probably from an owl, on the vibration sensor inside the cowling. Apparently it's not uncommon. Unfortunately they weren't in a good enough state to keep and examine (or maybe dissecting pellets doesn't immediately spring to mind if you're a wind turbine engineer). But Nick's a 'country lad' at heart and so I guess he has a fair idea what he's looking at. I'll not be climbing the 18m to see if there's anything left up there...

He says it's warm under the cowling and near the gears, and one turbine he serviced ended up having to put wire excluders on the opening to keep birds out!