Mini 2 Flying with buzzards in UK!

[BigglesPippa]

I was up in the moors near Huddersfield (UK) minding my own business when along came some buzzards. They weren't bothered by the drone at all. Thankfully rather than attack the drone, they were quite curious. Made for some “once in a lifetime footage”. When they were hovering along side the drone my heart was pounding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Gordon Bennet, you were lucky, I got a Phantom some what close to one but NOTHING like that, I cleared off when it gave the Phantom a pass.
I did get the talons with a long lens on a DSLR......eeeeek!

 

[BigglesPippa]

Gordon Bennet, you were lucky, I got a Phantom some what close to one but NOTHING like that, I cleared off when it gave the Phantom a pass.
I did get the talons with a long lens on a DSLR......eeeeek!

Apparently Buzzards are fairly passive. Seagulls are the ones to watch out for from what people have told me!

 

[Cymruflyer]

That was great thanks.

 

[MS Coast]

WOW! Nice flying. Nice shooting. Nice editing. Very nice.

This reminds me of flying gliders and thermaling with hawks and vultures, but you got a much closer look. Thanks for posting the video.

For what it's worth and for those who give a hoot, the buzzards on the far side of the Atlantic and on the US side are different birds. Over there, buzzards are members of the genus Buteo (stout bodied, broad winged raptors). In the US, we call Buteos hawks. To confuse things, we often refer to vultures as buzzards.

Black Vultures and one Turkey Vulture on a foggy morning in Georgia two weeks ago. Pretty bland shot compared to the OP's video. They're warming themselves, not preparing to take off.

 

[GregS]

I was up in the moors near Huddersfield (UK) minding my own business when along came some buzzards. They weren't bothered by the drone at all. Thankfully rather than attack the drone, they were quite curious. Made for some “once in a lifetime footage”. When they were hovering along side the drone my heart was pounding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Nice video. So you call them Buzzards? In the USA, we call them Hawks. Buzzards are much larger and they don't flap their wings to 'hover', they just soar with the updrafts and rarely flap their wings.

 

[BigglesPippa]

That was great thanks.

Cheers. I was lucky.

 

[BigglesPippa]

WOW! Nice flying. Nice shooting. Nice editing. Very nice.

This reminds me of flying gliders and thermaling with hawks and vultures, but you got a much closer look. Thanks for posting the video.

For what it's worth and for those who give a hoot, the buzzards on the far side of the Atlantic and on the US side are different birds. Over there, buzzards are members of the genus Buteo (stout bodied, broad winged raptors). In the US, we call Buteos hawks. To confuse things, we often refer to vultures as buzzards.

Black Vultures and one Turkey Vulture on a foggy morning in Georgia two weeks ago. Pretty bland shot compared to the OP's video. They're warming themselves, not preparing to take off.
View attachment 140530

Yeah you’re right. It’s caused a lot of cross Atlantic confusion. We have small birds of prey. You have terradactyls. Over here seagulls are the ones to watch. They are aggressive.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Cheers. I was lucky.

Seagulls can be aggressive, the world over. I was also very lucky one winter day, when I was waiting for some Canada Geese to fly back around and hopefully over me, so that I could get some following video of them in flight. I happened to have the camera ready just as they surprised me with a direct flight over my head. You can see me next to the car. Luckily the flock were between the ground and my drone, now that's lucky!

 

[thispilothere]

Last month I was able to fly in formation with geese but it took everything my MA2 had to keep up.

 

[MS Coast]

Last month I was able to fly in formation with geese but it took everything my MA2 had to keep up.

I'd like very much to hear about that.

 

[thispilothere]

I'd like very much to hear about that.

Not much to tell, they fly between several local ponds looking for food. I had my drone up waiting on them, heard them coming and gave chase. I had a good angle which is the only way I was able to catch up. Followed them for about 30 seconds at full speed (35-8mph in sport mode in a headwind) a few feet above and to the right of the formation before they landed at the pond. I flew over the pond several times watching their antics then came home. They knew I was there but none of them seemed to care at all.

I'd post the video but people here freak out about disturbing wildlife.

 

[Prop Wash]

Very Nice. Real good look at the buzzards. Did you zoom in @ all to help maintain a distance?

 

[NG Wildman]

Great flying...mellow birds probably looking for rodents in the browse.
Really cool when he glides by close just checking the Mini out.

 

[MS Coast]

Very Nice. Real good look at the buzzards. Did you zoom in @ all to help maintain a distance?

2X zoom with the Mini 2. I approached them very slowly and watched for any indication they were disturbed and kept my distance. They showed no signs of being bothered. They had their wings outstretched to warm up, not in reaction to the drone. They're handsome birds, as long as you ignore their heads.

UPDATE AFTER THINKING A BIT: I'm sure the compliments were intended for BigglesPippa for his great video of the ridge soaring buzzards/hawks rather than for my mediocre photo of fogbound buzzards/vultures roosting on a water tank.

 

[NG Wildman]

2X zoom with the Mini 2. I approached them very slowly and watched for any indication they were disturbed and kept my distance. They showed no signs of being bothered. They had their wings outstretched to warm up, not in reaction to the drone. They're handsome birds, as long as you ignore their heads.

Again very nice job. They look barely inquisitive and not at all threatened...much the same as fish look when I dive my sub and cameras. Nice job...that had to be a rush.

 

[BigglesPippa]

Seagulls can be aggressive, the world over. I was also very lucky one winter day, when I was waiting for some Canada Geese to fly back around and hopefully over me, so that I could get some following video of them in flight. I happened to have the camera ready just as they surprised me with a direct flight over my head. You can see me next to the car. Luckily the flock were between the ground and my drone, now that's lucky!

Those are fab photos!

 

[BigglesPippa]

Very Nice. Real good look at the buzzards. Did you zoom in @ all to help maintain a distance?

Yes I used the mini 2 zoom and did some zoom/cropping in post.

 

[Bobvt]

I was up in the moors near Huddersfield (UK) minding my own business when along came some buzzards. They weren't bothered by the drone at all. Thankfully rather than attack the drone, they were quite curious. Made for some “once in a lifetime footage”. When they were hovering along side the drone my heart was pounding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Oh hell yes,that was awesome

 

[55Kevy]

What a great video. Thanks for sharing @BigglesPippa: good flying & editing. And thanks @MS Coast for the discussion of UK vs US terminology on raptors. I sure thought they looked like buteos.