Whooping Cranes. Google helped me find these spinning reflectors. The fields on both sides of this road must be whooping crane stopovers. Whooping Cranes can get hurt running into power lines. These spinners divert the taking off and landing birds away from the danger.
From: Steve Taylor
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 10:28 PM
To: Bill Taylor (billt444@comcast.net) <billt444@comcast.net>; David Taylor (David Taylor) <taylor234@comcast.net>; ‘Tom Taylor (E-mail)’ <code-boy@earthlink.net>
Subject: A mystery
It’s not uncommon to see something attached to utility lines. Sometimes it’s a piece of metal bent in a “V”, presumably to dampen the effect of wind on the line; break up any resonant frequency from wind gusts. Sometimes we see orange balls attached to the lines, presumably to alert low flying aircraft.
Here, we’re seeing these things attached to a short stretch of utility line.
They appear to be spinners.
Reflecting spinners.
Can’t figure out what they’re for. This section of road doesn’t look different from the adjacent sections. Nothing to funnel wind if that were an issue. No sign of an airport nearby. We thought of crop dusters, but the fields on each side of the road aren’t agricultural. They’re more like old overgrown pasture.
Can’t figure them out!