Almost got got...

[edfrombama]

Good afternoon to all-
I took my Mini 2 out back in the big open field to do another flight. I can't tell you how much I am coming to enjoy this little drone.

I had a nice flight- I won't relate how far I flew- that sort of thing seems to stress some folks- so let's just say it was a very good flight and lasted about 20 minutes..

On my way back to launch spot on RTH, I saw on the video replay when I got home that I was buzzed very closely by some sort of bird hawk. I expect it was either a Cooper's Hawk or maybe a sharp shinned hawk. The hawk swooped past and below the drone and then went on his way. I guess he didn't like the looks of my drone.

I am very pleased with the video quality produced by the Mini 2, and I enjoy the responsive controls and adjustments- so much better than my previous drones.

I am glad I got this little bird- one of the best to myself Christmas presents I've given in a long time.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

 

[Prop Wash]

Glad you had a great time Ed! That's what these things are for. I really like my Mini 2. We've had several pilots have close enounters with our feathered friends. (check the Photo and Video Showcase to see some of them)

 

[smbishop]

HI Ed, you are sharing the same enthusiasm I experience back in April 2021, when I received my mini 2. I am sure that you will feel the same way 9 months from now, as I still do.

I enjoy your posts, please keep sharing!

 

[maggior]

It's definitely a rush learning how to fly these drones. I have a Mavic Air 2 I got last April and have flown quite a bit. I've had 2 encounters with birds, one of them I believe was a hawk. The hawk flew a circle around my drone like he was checking it out. The other one buzzed past. I was able to get a cool still from the hawk out of my video footage. Let me see if I can dig it up.

They say the best way to get out of trouble if a bird is harassing your drone is to fly straight up or down since birds can't pull that maneuver.

Have fun!!

Oh, here it is. I zoomed in, it wasn't that close, but it was close enough for me to see it zip by.

 

[eEridani]

Birds are aggressors in the sky and they do not like competition. Just look what sparrows do to crows, crows to hawks, hawks to eagles, and in general raptors to drones. Lots of stories of drones falling out of the sky for no reason - but I suspect there usually is one.

Some research suggests a bright deep blue LED (near UV) may help prevent attacks/collisions - also placing large white with black ring eyes on the front of the drone. Seems owls are also deterrents.

Intense short-wavelength light triggers avoidance response by Red-tailed Hawks: A new tool for raptor diversion?

Collisions between birds and aircraft present serious safety and economic risks to aviation worldwide. Research into the potential for lighting to reduce collision risk has been evolving since the mid-twentieth century. Our objective was to explore the potential for using customized...

bioone.org

Wide-eyed glare scares raptors: From laboratory evidence to applied management

Raptors are one of the most important causes of fatalities due to their collisions with aircrafts as well as being the main victims of collisions with constructions. They are difficult to deter because they are not influenced by other airspace users or ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[teccer]

how about this one !!

 

[Chaosrider]

After *zero* flying in December, I got the last of my 3 Mini-2s back up in the air yesterday. As many have said here, I love these little machines. I took some cool snow covered mountainscape footage, which I'll post after some trimming.

Keep 'em flying!



TCS

 

[CheriW]

On my second flight. Thank goodness I remembered where the photo button was. They came out of nowhere!

 

[JimSteadman]

No experience with raptors here, but Seagulls can be a problem in coastal areas. Have also been pestered by Martins when in the vicinity of a large colony of them. As maggior said - straight up or straight down usually works. Most birds seem to have a preferred altitude and if you move thru it quickly, they seem not to be interested.

 

[MS Coast]

Oh, here it is. I zoomed in, it wasn't that close, but it was close enough for me to see it zip by. View attachment 141845

Great photos. Looks like a Turkey Vulture, maybe a juvenile given the paler head.

Turkey Vulture Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

If you’ve gone looking for raptors on a clear day, your heart has probably leaped at the sight of a large, soaring bird in the distance– perhaps an eagle or osprey. But if it's soaring with its wings raised in a V and making wobbly circles, it's likely a Turkey Vulture. These birds ride thermals...

www.allaboutbirds.org

 

[MS Coast]

View attachment 141885
On my second flight. Thank goodness I remembered where the photo button was. They came out of nowhere!

Wow. Great photo. And quite a lot of excitement for your second flight, or for a 200th flight for that matter. It looks like a flock of Eastern Meadowlarks, a little duller colored in the winter.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Ascension is your safest escape, if you can't land immediately, as raptors have no trouble dive bombing from above, when you descend below them. Peregrine falcons can actually dive at over 200mph! That's how they catch their unwary prey!

| EarthSky

earthsky.org

 

[RandyV]

It's definitely a rush learning how to fly these drones. I have a Mavic Air 2 I got last April and have flown quite a bit. I've had 2 encounters with birds, one of them I believe was a hawk. The hawk flew a circle around my drone like he was checking it out. The other one buzzed past. I was able to get a cool still from the hawk out of my video footage. Let me see if I can dig it up.

They say the best way to get out of trouble if a bird is harassing your drone is to fly straight up or down since birds can't pull that maneuver.

Have fun!!

Oh, here it is. I zoomed in, it wasn't that close, but it was close enough for me to see it zip by. View attachment 141845View attachment 141846

Whoa, that's a big bird! Nice shot.

 

[CheriW]

Wow. Great photo. And quite a lot of excitement for your second flight, or for a 200th flight for that matter. It looks like a flock of Eastern Meadowlarks, a little duller colored in the winter.

Thanks! I was wondering what kind of birds they were. I was having trouble identifying them.