Osprey (the bird) - close encounter

[GH02050]

I was hovering at 230 feet in VLOS playing around with Hyperloop with my attention focused on the iPad camera view and associated settings. I got everything set and started the HL process. Knowing this would take 15 min to complete I set the controller on the picnic table and enjoyed my coffee while watching the process on the screen. About half way through the sequence I decided to look up at the drone and to my surprise/horror a clearly agitated Osprey was hovering, about 25 yards away. It was huge and displaying some pretty strange behavior, I thought for sure it was going to take out the drone. I panicked, cancelled the HL, and used the RTH function. I wish I had turned toward it and taken a photo because it would have been an epic shot but I was way too flustered. Thankfully It didn't follow, but during my decent it's mate (equally as big) did a high speed fly-by about 5 feet from the drone. It was super close. I ordered a hi-vis orange skin to make this thing look as unnatural as possible. Hoping it will help as I know I'll be seeing this pair of birds again (were are both locals).

 

[JAW]

If I'm not mistaken, bright colors generally attract birds. You may have flown too close to their nesting area which would definitely agitate the critters.

 

[GH02050]

Dam, I thought bright orange would do just the opposite. Their nest is actually more than 1/2 mile from where this happened. Watching a bird of that size hover, the way it did, was pretty interesting. It held its position just like the drone.

 

[Steve LaBranche]

Where did you encounter this cool yet scary event? Location that is. I live in Cazadero California in the Russian River Valley. Filming Ospreys in their nest is one the things I want to do. I guess I should rethink it or atleast be very wary that could happen.

Thanks for sharing. Steve.

 

[GH02050]

I live in Marshfield MA. This pair lives about a mile from my house. You could park small car in their nest. I'm going to keep my distance at least until I have insurance.

 

[Steve LaBranche]

I live in Marshfield MA. This pair lives about a mile from my house. You could park small car in their nest. I'm going to keep my distance at least until I have insurance.

Thanks for replying. I bought the DJI care refresh package just for the peace of mind. Hope I never have to use it. Interesting you in Mass, I was "Born" in "Bourne" Cape Cod on Otis AFB. Hmmm guess you could say I was Bourne to Fly. lol.

Thanks for posting about the Ospreys, I imagine they're just as territorial in California as they are anywhere else.

Safe Flying.... Steve

 

[LenSavage]

Here in the San Diego area, with the Marine Corps and Navy, we also sometimes encounter Ospreys in-flight:

Oh wait ..... you were talking the feathered kind .... never mind.

 

[Rich P.]

I was hovering at 230 feet in VLOS playing around with Hyperloop with my attention focused on the iPad camera view and associated settings. I got everything set and started the HL process. Knowing this would take 15 min to complete I set the controller on the picnic table and enjoyed my coffee while watching the process on the screen. About half way through the sequence I decided to look up at the drone and to my surprise/horror a clearly agitated Osprey was hovering, about 25 yards away. It was huge and displaying some pretty strange behavior, I thought for sure it was going to take out the drone. I panicked, cancelled the HL, and used the RTH function. I wish I had turned toward it and taken a photo because it would have been an epic shot but I was way too flustered. Thankfully It didn't follow, but during my decent it's mate (equally as big) did a high speed fly-by about 5 feet from the drone. It was super close. I ordered a hi-vis orange skin to make this thing look as unnatural as possible. Hoping it will help as I know I'll be seeing this pair of birds again (were are both locals).

We were flying our Phantom 3 STD a few days ago. While descending for landing, at approx. 50 feet, and a bald eagle flew within about 25 feet at the same altitude. He (she) pretty much ignored the A/C and did not change course. We are in northern VA about a quarter of a mille from the Potomac. Unfortunately, we were not recording at the time.

 

[Obsidian Sereniti]

I was hovering at 230 feet in VLOS playing around with Hyperloop with my attention focused on the iPad camera view and associated settings. I got everything set and started the HL process. Knowing this would take 15 min to complete I set the controller on the picnic table and enjoyed my coffee while watching the process on the screen. About half way through the sequence I decided to look up at the drone and to my surprise/horror a clearly agitated Osprey was hovering, about 25 yards away. It was huge and displaying some pretty strange behavior, I thought for sure it was going to take out the drone. I panicked, cancelled the HL, and used the RTH function. I wish I had turned toward it and taken a photo because it would have been an epic shot but I was way too flustered. Thankfully It didn't follow, but during my decent it's mate (equally as big) did a high speed fly-by about 5 feet from the drone. It was super close. I ordered a hi-vis orange skin to make this thing look as unnatural as possible. Hoping it will help as I know I'll be seeing this pair of birds again (were are both locals).

It is scary. I used to have a Mavic Air and happened to get too close to an Osprey nest. I honestly didn’t see it. The female took out my MA and took it away.

Being a nature photographer, I try to always be cognizant of nesting and disturbing any animals. Of course, you can’t always tell what is around the bend, so to speak. Anyhow, just be careful, and if possible, use a quiet camera rather than the drone if you’ll be photographing birds of prey - just my thoughts, not any official advice. Outside of the nesting ospreys, the only other bird that has tried to attack the drone is the seagull. Again, no lecture from me, sounds like an accident like mine. At least your bird didn’t get knocked down and taken away! ?

Happy flying, Brother!

 

[GH02050]

I completely agree with you about not disturbing nature & for the record I have no intention of messing with the Osprey pair or it's nest. I am definitely concerned about seagulls and Gannets while on the water. I'm not too happy to hear a seagull is the only other bird to have given you trouble. I hope to have many successful flights on the water this season. When the fishing is good, or when the whales are putting on a show, there are almost always birds.

 

[Grumpy D]

Here in the San Diego area, with the Marine Corps and Navy, we also sometimes encounter Ospreys in-flight:
View attachment 71049
Oh wait ..... you were talking the feathered kind .... never mind.

That’s what I thought the OP was talking about until I started reading the responses. I was planning to give him big ones for hitting RTH rather than diving. ?

 

[CJH92474]

Here in the San Diego area, with the Marine Corps and Navy, we also sometimes encounter Ospreys in-flight:
View attachment 71049
Oh wait ..... you were talking the feathered kind .... never mind.

Bwahaha!! My initial thought...

 

[yankfanp]

I was hovering at 230 feet in VLOS playing around with Hyperloop with my attention focused on the iPad camera view and associated settings. I got everything set and started the HL process. Knowing this would take 15 min to complete I set the controller on the picnic table and enjoyed my coffee while watching the process on the screen. About half way through the sequence I decided to look up at the drone and to my surprise/horror a clearly agitated Osprey was hovering, about 25 yards away. It was huge and displaying some pretty strange behavior, I thought for sure it was going to take out the drone. I panicked, cancelled the HL, and used the RTH function. I wish I had turned toward it and taken a photo because it would have been an epic shot but I was way too flustered. Thankfully It didn't follow, but during my decent it's mate (equally as big) did a high speed fly-by about 5 feet from the drone. It was super close. I ordered a hi-vis orange skin to make this thing look as unnatural as possible. Hoping it will help as I know I'll be seeing this pair of birds again (were are both locals).

Wow! I was at a lake this morning and saw three osprey's one I watched dive in for a fish with the others trying to steal it! I did fly over the lake but not high and they caused no issue.

 

[Donnie]

I have to admit it was a little nervwracking today when I came off beginner mode, this being my second ever day with a drone and I went to 300 feet then suddenly noticed 2 Buzzards making a slow circle edging toward it! They didnt attack or anything I simply dropped away so as not to annoy them, just in case!

 

[JAW]

I have to admit it was a little nervwracking today when I came off beginner mode, this being my second ever day with a drone and I went to 300 feet then suddenly noticed 2 Buzzards making a slow circle edging toward it! They didnt attack or anything I simply dropped away so as not to annoy them, just in case!

I don't know how you can even SEE your drone at 300', especially if you look at your screen for a couple seconds then try to reacquire it.

My vision isn't all that bad, but I have a couple tiny floaters that are the exact same size as a Mavic 2 at 300' Makes for some interesting situations when I try to reacquire a floater instead of a drone!

 

[LowCountryFlyer]

I was hovering at 230 feet in VLOS playing around with Hyperloop with my attention focused on the iPad camera view and associated settings. I got everything set and started the HL process. Knowing this would take 15 min to complete I set the controller on the picnic table and enjoyed my coffee while watching the process on the screen. About half way through the sequence I decided to look up at the drone and to my surprise/horror a clearly agitated Osprey was hovering, about 25 yards away. It was huge and displaying some pretty strange behavior, I thought for sure it was going to take out the drone. I panicked, cancelled the HL, and used the RTH function. I wish I had turned toward it and taken a photo because it would have been an epic shot but I was way too flustered. Thankfully It didn't follow, but during my decent it's mate (equally as big) did a high speed fly-by about 5 feet from the drone. It was super close. I ordered a hi-vis orange skin to make this thing look as unnatural as possible. Hoping it will help as I know I'll be seeing this pair of birds again (were are both locals).

That's interesting. I once did a cell tower inspection where an Osprey had built a nest in it and had one chick there. Mom had flown over to a nearby tree and was squaking excitedly at us but never made a move to attack the drone.

As I understand it, Seagulls are the worst and have been known to get aggressive with sUAS. I myself had a near MAC with a goose on takeoff last Sunday with my Mavic 2 Pro but the bird didn't really seem that angered by the drone.

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

I don't know how you can even SEE your drone at 300', especially if you look at your screen for a couple seconds then try to reacquire it.

My vision isn't all that bad, but I have a couple tiny floaters that are the exact same size as a Mavic 2 at 300' Makes for some interesting situations when I try to reacquire a floater instead of a drone!

Getting off topic, but in a recent test flight to determine our line of sight limits for a large photogrammetry job (using Pix4d) we were able to see a P4 up to a distance of almost 2600', at an altitude of 350'. However, you cannot look away and expect to find it again quickly. I have not yet tested the MP.

To get back on the topic, here's an Osprey pic I took last year with my pocket zoom camera.

 

[ff22]

Getting off topic, but in a recent test flight to determine our line of sight limits for a large photogrammetry job (using Pix4d) we were able to see a P4 up to a distance of almost 2600', at an altitude of 350'. However, you cannot look away and expect to find it again quickly. I have not yet tested the MP.

To get back on the topic, here's an Osprey pic I took last year with my pocket zoom camera.

Sheesh, I'd expect those antenna to cook its "goose" as it were! Poached eggs anyone?

 

[Donnie]

I don't know how you can even SEE your drone at 300', especially if you look at your screen for a couple seconds then try to reacquire it.

My vision isn't all that bad, but I have a couple tiny floaters that are the exact same size as a Mavic 2 at 300' Makes for some interesting situations when I try to reacquire a floater instead of a drone!

LOL, yes, well to be fair it was at 300 feet but straight up so didn't have to scan much actual sky

 

[thatswedishguy]

Cool event, yet scary! Thanks for sharing! (I also though about the aircraft when I first read the topic)

I got my M2P this Monday and have only put 1.7 hours on it yet, but I have gotten nervous about seagulls already. I had one flying nearby looking interested so I quickly descended and flew away from it. Other times they haven't bothered. I had a small bird of prey fly by at some distance today, but it didn't show any interest. It had its autopilot in heading mode just flying straight forward.

I prefer to stay away from birds. I don't want to disturb them, but I was in the sky first and not close to any nests. They just keep showing up. As long as they stay a good distance away and don't look like they have any evil plans for my drone I'm happy.

Also, I can easily see my Mavic 2 Pro att 110 M AGL (~360ft). Even if I look away I can find it again, at least in hover, but it's probably a lot harder if it moved while looking away. I have tons of floaters in my eyes of varying sizes, but it's not been a problem spotting it so far.