Birds ever an issue for you?

[FakeRaven]

just finished a heart pounding flight home after I had a small flock of barn swallows doing fake-out nose dives at my mavic, some passing within meters of my gimbal. I figure I'd flown over a nesting area and promptly gtfo.

Just thought I'd gather people's thoughts or experiences with upsetting birds. My condolences if anything catastrophic ever befell someone!

Edit: turns out it's egg laying time in Alberta for the little welps, i guess it's worth it to do some research on the bird species in the area one decides to fly in.

 

[geigy]

Nothing much - had a hummingbird squabble at it while I was checking out someone's roof shingles.

Now bees - got swarmed repeatedly by drones who thought they had found the biggest queen bee ever. Several of them paid with their lives.

 

[FakeRaven]

Nothing much - had a hummingbird squabble at it while I was checking out someone's roof shingles.

Now bees - got swarmed repeatedly by drones who thought they had found the biggest queen bee ever. Several of them paid with their lives.

Did the hitting the bees cause any damage or shaking?

 

[Pathogen]

I hear the gulls are nasty, but I don't fly near the ocean. There are a few little birds that circle around my Mavic but they seem to know better than to get too close. The crows are WAY too smart to get near, and the eagles are nowhere to be seen when I fly.

 

[Capra Vecinului]

Just very curious sea gulls, at the seaside. I immediately flew upwards and they minded their own business.

 

[borislip]

If you fly in VLOS and see a curious or protective bird coming, fly straight up, then gtfo, and yes, it did happen to me. If are out of VLOS, you probably won't see it coming, and i know someone who's drone took some damages this way.

 

[geigy]

Did the hitting the bees cause any damage or shaking?

No damage, but messy!

 

[FakeRaven]

No damage, but messy!

Good to know, I'd love to find a hive someday and get some pictures!

 

[FakeRaven]

If you fly in VLOS and see a curious or protective bird coming, fly straight up, then gtfo, and yes, it did happen to me. If are out of VLOS, you probably won't see it coming, and i know someone who's drone took some damages this way.

Spooky. I was cautious about making a vertical ascent, and being that I was out of VLOS, I was afraid of my VA passing into one of their dives.

 

[borislip]

Spooky. I was cautious about making a vertical ascent, and being that I was out of VLOS, I was afraid of my VA passing into one of their dives.

Flying straight up isn't some magical way to fly in birds proximity, it's just the best way to escape a single bird that already trying to attack you. It works simply because birds can't fly vertically. This doesn't mean you can't end up hitting another bird from below.

 

[Mavic 57]

Flying in Norway and this bird was obviously trying to size up the Mavic. Would have missed it, but the goggles helped to track it.

Original in 4k.

 

[ceirsik]

Pigeons are very curious about drones. I've had them circle it while flying around. As many as 10 at a time. They never got close enough to make me bring it down.

 

[FakeRaven]

Flying straight up isn't some magical way to fly in birds proximity, it's just the best way to escape a single bird that already trying to attack you. It works simply because birds can't fly vertically. This doesn't mean you can't end up hitting another bird from below.

Gotcha. I'll try that next time I catch them swooping at me.

 

[Ceejay]

I had 2 close encounters of the feathered variety only a week or so back, one, a Gull at Pyramiden, Norway (disused Russian Town)
My title for the Picture
"Oy!, what are you doin' up ere' "
and a Very persistent Tern at Hellesylt, Geiranger Fjord, Norway

Put the fear of God into me at the time !!
(The Tern did physically hit the Mavic twice)
and I did GTFO !!

 

[onbypass]

Well..... This was my second flight with my Mavic!! As soon as I took off, there were 10-12 birds (maybe hawks), circling. I was near trees, and I wonder if I was near a nest. I immediately landed and they all just vanished!!! Last time I fly in that park!!!

 

[FakeRaven]

I had 2 close encounters of the feathered variety only a week or so back, one, a Gull at Pyramiden, Norway (disused Russian Town)
My title for the Picture
"Oy!, what are you doin' up ere' "
and a Very persistent Tern at Hellesylt, Geiranger Fjord, NorwayView attachment 16217 View attachment 16218

Put the fear of God into me at the time !!
(The Tern did physically hit the Mavic twice)
and I did GTFO !!

Woah it got so close to you! How well did the mavic hold up when it got hit?

 

[FakeRaven]

Well..... This was my second flight with my Mavic!! As soon as I took off, there were 10-12 birds (maybe hawks), circling. I was near trees, and I wonder if I was near a nest. I immediately landed and they all just vanished!!! Last time I fly in that park!!!



View attachment 16225 View attachment 16226

Looks like hawks, yeah. Barn swallows aren't any bigger than a chicken nugget, but hawks have the weight to put up a fight! Impressive pictures everyone!

 

[Kestrel]

I have sparrows swarm my mavic all the time and also a occasional hawk will swoop close to take a look. In the winter we have a lot like thousands of Canadian geese here, they don't care about my mavic but they also won't sway from their pattern of flying either.

 

[Oingo Boingo]

Just very curious sea gulls, at the seaside. I immediately flew upwards and they minded their own business.

They can be pretty territorial depending on where u fly and if it's near a nesting site. Almost had a phantom taken out in Mosselbay in SA when we were covering a powerboat race

 

[nickelphoto]

In Iceland now and have had an encounter almost every flight.