California

Radar to help prevent wind turbines from killing birds

Mark Sedlacek, left, Chuck Holloway and Ken Silver of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power walk among the wind turbines at the Pine Tree wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. Wind energy farms are being approved across ridgelines used by endangered condors and federally protected eagles. Recently, renewable energy companies and federal biologists have been trying to develop technologies to prevent those birds and others from colliding with the turbine blades.

Mark Sedlacek, left, Chuck Holloway and Ken Silver of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power walk among the wind turbines at the Pine Tree wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. Wind energy farms are being approved across ridgelines used by endangered condors and federally protected eagles. Recently, renewable energy companies and federal biologists have been trying to develop technologies to prevent those birds and others from colliding with the turbine blades.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Wind energy companies are looking into detection systems to prevent birth deaths.

Bird-watching

Larry Schmahl, left, and Al Moreno, right, are part of a group led by N. John Schmitt, center, a bird expert and artist that led the group to watch birds at sunrise in Butterbredt Springs in the Tehachapis, one of the best birding spots in the nation.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Wind machines

Wind turbines at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Pine Tree wind farm.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Joshua trees

Joshua trees dot the landscape at sunrise in Butterbredt Springs, one of the best birding spots in the nation. It’s near a wind farm, and environmentalists are concerned about the threat to birds from the wind turbines.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Tehachapi Mountains

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Pine Tree wind farm as viewed from a nearby ridge in Jawbone Canyon near bird-watching haven Butterbredt Springs.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Flight of the grosbeak

A male black-headed grosbeak takes flight during sunrise in Butterbredt Springs.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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