Birds...how scared should I be?

[Kennetf]

The biggest fears I have where I live close to the water are seagulls and oystercatchers. Especially during the breeding season they tend to be very aggressive, swooping close to the mavic, and chasing it. Before I knew this was an issue, I flew a couple hundred meters away and had for half a minute no visual sight of the mavic itself. In the camera I saw something come very close to the lens...freaked me out, and have never flown beyond visual line of sight since! Check out the screenshot below.

 

[BlueSky]

This mean looking fella swooped for my Mavic this weekend whilst flying in Buckinghamshire (they are common there)

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/resources/images/5134432.jpg?type=article-full

I panicked and was close to home so just landed...I've seen similar bird attack threads but was intrigued by people's general fear level here?

You have a right to be cautious around big birds. I don't think vultures pose much of a problem but hawks do. They are predators and territorial and don't take kindly to intrusions in their airspace. Had a Mavic knocked out of the sky by a red tailed hawk while flying a mapping mission.

 

[Ren57]

This mean looking fella swooped for my Mavic this weekend whilst flying in Buckinghamshire (they are common there)

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/resources/images/5134432.jpg?type=article-full

I panicked and was close to home so just landed...I've seen similar bird attack threads but was intrigued by people's general fear level here?

Yep, that's a Red Kite. I've had quite a few show an interest in my Mavic when I've been flying in Wales. Had a good 5 - 6 minute dogfight with one earlier this year, they can maneuver quite well for a large bird! But I can tell you that they can't outrun or climb as fast as a Mavic Pro in sports mode! I won the dogfight and the Red kite glided off to look for something to kill for lunch!

 

[OzoneVibe]

Note: The red kite is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to take, injure or kill a red kite or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young.

 

[Montypaks]

... Had a Mavic knocked out of the sky by a red tailed hawk while flying a mapping mission.

And....