Bird Flight Diverters

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 13 Dec 2021

The round discs hanging down from the smaller of the two power lines in the picture are there to stop birds crashing into the power line. Considering that they seem to retail at around £50 each it seems probable that collisions involving bigger birds cause power outages occasionally, and that they are not simply there for the birds' welfare. There must have been around 20 spread across two post-to-post sections, spaced at regular intervals. This could be due to this spot being particularly prone to collisions, or simply due to the discs' prohibitive cost. There seems to be no doubt about their effectiveness, and much is made on adverts about them glowing in the dark, possibly only to birds' eyes though (something to do with them storing up energy during the daytime, but exactly how they do this wasn't made that clear on the adverts I came across). Some studies, though, basically suggest that they are a huge waste of money, as hanging some basic paper bunting between the posts has been found to be pretty much as effective. The red doors on the building ahead belong to Addiewell Farm, and on the left is an old converted church.

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