Wind Turbines on Top of the Hill is a photograph by Martha Sherman which was uploaded on June 7th, 2020.
Wind Turbines on Top of the Hill
Altamont Pass, Alameda County, Northern California, USA - These modern windmills are located in the Altamont Pass, which is a low mountain pass in... more
Title
Wind Turbines on Top of the Hill
Artist
Martha Sherman
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Altamont Pass, Alameda County, Northern California, USA - These modern windmills are located in the Altamont Pass, which is a low mountain pass in the Diablo Range of Northern California between Livermore in the Livermore Valley and Tracy in the San Joaquin Valley. The pass is now traversed by Interstate 580, an important regional highway.
The Altamont Pass wind farm began in 1981, and was one of the earliest wind farms in the United States. It is still one of the largest concentrations of wind turbines in the world. The original smaller turbines used at this site were found to be dangerous to a variety of raptors, including golden eagles, a federally protected species. Most of them have been replaced by larger, more efficient models called monopoles (shown here) that are supposed to be more bird-friendly because they rotate at a lower rpm and are elevated higher. They also don't have the lattice towers that birds found appealing for resting and nesting. There is still a controversy over whether or not the newer models have sufficiently reduced the number of dead birds.
Sources: Wikipedia, Clean Technica, https://mobileranger.wpengine.com/blog/altamont-pass-what-is-the-story-with-those-windmills/
Uploaded
June 7th, 2020
More from Martha Sherman
Comments (17)
Martha Kasinger
Amazing Artwork ... Following
Martha Sherman replied:
Thank you so much, Martha, for the lovely comment and for following me. I will be adding more work soon; I'm recovering from knee surgery and unable to work long on the computer.
Bunny Clarke
From a distance the hills always look like green velvet this time of year. Gorgeous capture.
Martha Sherman replied:
Thank you very much, Bunny! I agree about the appearance of green velvet; I just wish it would last longer.
Dora Stork
So amazing capture and idea! Love these green colors and thought too
Martha Sherman replied:
Many thanks for these lovely and supportive comments, Dora. I am somewhat obsessed with wind turbines for some reason. For this shot I was lucky to have the green grass and the stormy sky.
Martha Sherman
Thank you so much to the buyer of the print from Seattle. I hope you enjoy it for years to come.
Kathy M Krause
Congratulations on your sale Martha!
Martha Sherman replied:
Thank you so much, Kathy! I hadn't even realized that I had made the sale until I saw your kind message.
Martha Sherman
Many thanks, Gary, for these lovely comments. I'm fascinated by wind turbines, as I am hoping they continue making them safer for birds.
Martha Sherman
Thank you very much, Rick, for the wonderful comments and the fave. I’m glad you like it!
Bunny Clarke
Very beautiful capture Martha.
Martha Sherman replied:
Many thanks, Bunny! I got lucky with the wild clouds and the timing that allowed the hills to be actually green.
Elaine Teague
The turbines look so impressive. I agree with Lesley.
Martha Sherman replied:
Thank you very much, Elaine, for the great comments. I find the turbines very interesting and these particular ones are in a lovely setting. Frequently the turbines are in less than scenic areas.
Lesley Evered
This is a lovely scenic shot Martha. I don't agree with people who dislike seeing these turbines. I think they are quite elegant and looking at them one can see the beauty of the surrounding countryside too. A lovely composition and a favourite
Martha Sherman replied:
Thank you so much, Lesley, for your wonderful comments and the fave. I agree that the turbines are attractive and very interesting. Unfortunately, they are often in areas that aren't that scenic. This is my favorite area to see them in.
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