Birds!!

B-dog · Dec 31, 2018

Has anyone else ever had birds try to commit suicide into their drone? I grabbed this image from a video I took this morning. These guys kept dive bombing at it so I had no choice but to land.

SpinItUp · Dec 31, 2018

they are just avoiding recognition by going faster than the shutter speed allows, due to not liking having their mugs on the interwebs, they'd poop on it given half the chance, then things start to get really messy

B-dog · Dec 31, 2018

SpinItUp said:
they are just avoiding recognition by going faster than the shutter speed allows, due to not liking having their mugs on the interwebs, they'd poop on it given half the chance, then things start to get really messy

Ha! I'm sure they would.

Shawn King · Dec 31, 2018

B-dog said:
Has anyone else ever had birds try to commit suicide into their drone? I grabbed this image from a video I took this morning. These guys kept dive bombing at it so I had no choice but to land.

I haven't had a call this close but we have a LOT of raptors around here and even though I've only been flying for three days, I've had several bald eagles showing way too much interest in the Mavic. I bring it back/down as soon as possible.

RTKD · Dec 31, 2018

For those times you can't bring it down immediately, going straight up can lose them too.

Mrmund · Jan 1, 2019

RTKD is definitely right, I've had a few close calls, worst was the seagulls- no way to get back your crashed drone when you're off shore

Montana John · Jan 1, 2019

RTKD said:
For those times you can't bring it down immediately, going straight up can lose them too.

From our local raptor rescue center: Raptors are less sensitive to birds below them than from anything flying above them. What is above is a hunter, what is below is potential prey. Lesson - get below them. Quickly. Their excellent eyesight will tell them that the drone does not resemble dinner, and its position will say, "No threat here." Of course there are always exceptions.

RTKD · Jan 1, 2019

Montana John said:
From our local raptor rescue center: Raptors are less sensitive to birds below them than from anything flying above them. What is above is a hunter, what is below is potential prey. Lesson - get below them. Quickly. Their excellent eyesight will tell them that the drone does not resemble dinner, and its position will say, "No threat here." Of course there are always exceptions.

Not claiming to be an expert at all, I was told the same information, with the opposite conclusion. Since raptors hunt birds from above, they can't really attack upward. Being below them allows for an attack, while going high signals that you're not prey.

This is second hand word of mouth from me though

Montana John · Jan 1, 2019

RTKD said:
Not claiming to be an expert at all, I was told the same information, with the opposite conclusion. Since raptors hunt birds from above, they can't really attack upward. Being below them allows for an attack, while going high signals that you're not prey.

This is second hand word of mouth from me though

I am going to stay with the advice from the orinthologists at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center.

RTKD · Jan 1, 2019

This got me thinking so I looked it up. It's the fixed wing guys that have to climb fast, likely because they don't have the option of coming straight down like we do. Interesting article
When Birds Attack! — Experienced Drone Operators Discuss This...

These guys are saying go straight up too though...
How to avoid birds attack?

How to deal with bird attacks?

Not being a Jerk, but maybe your bird expert isn't a drone expert? Just a possibility. If I was you, and spoke to a conservationist I respect, then I would take their advice too. This just got me thinking is all

Montana John · Jan 1, 2019

RTKD said:
This got me thinking so I looked it up. It's the fixed wing guys that have to climb fast, likely because they don't have the option of coming straight down like we do. Interesting article
When Birds Attack! — Experienced Drone Operators Discuss This...

These guys are saying go straight up too though...
How to avoid birds attack?

How to deal with bird attacks?

Not being a Jerk, but maybe your bird expert isn't a drone expert? Just a possibility. If I was you, and spoke to a conservationist I respect, then I would take their advice too. This just got me thinking is all

I am starting to think that there are no simple right answers to any real life problem! Happy new year, and may all golden eagles stay far, far away.

RTKD · Jan 1, 2019

Montana John said:
I am starting to think that there are no simple right answers to any real life problem! Happy new year, and may all golden eagles stay far, far away.

Seriously! the curse of the internet. The harder I look the less I know.
Happy new year to you as well

FoxhallGH · Jan 1, 2019

Any Raptor will not want to get 'hurt' by something that's more powerful than it - otherwise - if it's hurt, it loses its ability to eat and it starves / dies. Therefore, what I was told, was that if you make your drone go up [fast!] then due to the raptor being a master of all things aeronautical, it will understand that since it can't fly upwards that fast, your drone must be a mean mother* and it will leave it alone. To my mind - if you Dive, you are acting like Dinner ...

There might be a caveat though - in that if its looking for a mate, and thinks your drone is a rival - then no matter what you do - it's prop's V's talons!!

RTKD · Jan 1, 2019

I got into drones as an extension of nature photography, so while I love my drone, in my heart I'm still cheering for the birds. Just hope you don't run into this guy: