red-tail hawk

[MS Coast]

The other encounter was a peregrine falcon making several high speed passes very close to a MA2 before I gained some height and got out of the area.

Very nice photo of that Peregrine. What a treat to fly with one.

 

[SteveMouzon]

I did survive my attack. Reflection tape is my solution.

Good idea! I'll do the same.

 

[MikeDo3s]

I was shooting a neighborhood in Starkville, Mississippi today at 120 meters, and my M3 attracted the attention of a hawk. I quickly dropped down to 35, which was just above the treetops and the hawk moved on to other interests. Anyone have any predator issues from time to time? What are your best suggestions? Thanks!

I was flying my Mini 2 over Irondequoit Bay New York and along comes a Red-tailed Hawk to eat me or greet me. This one has a nest near by, does many flyovers my house. This was taken early April 2021.

 

[blubyyou]

I was shooting a neighborhood in Starkville, Mississippi today at 120 meters, and my M3 attracted the attention of a hawk. I quickly dropped down to 35, which was just above the treetops and the hawk moved on to other interests. Anyone have any predator issues from time to time? What are your best suggestions? Thanks!

Go UP quickly. They dive well but can’t ascend like our drones.

 

[ianwood]

Not a Mavic but a close call with a hungry redtail from a few years ago:

 

[EsaT]

I've had both a peregrine falcon and a bald eagle take a run at drones. The bald eagle was near my home and "attacked" a P4P on its first flight. (See my avatar). I headed for home, descending, which was the wrong thing as the eagle dove at the drone and almost caught it before I got home. As others have suggested, going straight up is the best defence as birds of prey cannot usually ascent that fast.

The other encounter was a peregrine falcon making several high speed passes very close to a MA2 before I gained some height and got out of the area.View attachment 141923

More like those peregrine falcons were curious, or thinking drone as some trespasser to scare away.

If they seriously thought it as prey, they could "dive bomb" it before you knew anything.

The Fast and Furious Peregrine Falcon Is a Midair Hunting Machine

While the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, the peregrine falcon, a large predatory raptor, is by far the fastest bird on planet Earth.

animals.howstuffworks.com

 

[So Cal pilot]

Hard to tell with the backlighting, but the last bird in the tree looks and acts more like a crow than a hawk. Plus flocking is more of a crow behavior that a hawk behavior.

I agree. These are not hawks. Crows hunt in packs. Red-tail hawks are often alone. Sometimes you'll see a pair circling together.

 

[Rchawks]

Just a side note, birds aren't alway aggressive.

 

[Rchawks]

...

 

[Rchawks]

Excellent Bird pics

 

[hagman23]

I was shooting a neighborhood in Starkville, Mississippi today at 120 meters, and my M3 attracted the attention of a hawk. I quickly dropped down to 35, which was just above the treetops and the hawk moved on to other interests. Anyone have any predator issues from time to time? What are your best suggestions? Thanks!

I get a lot of attention from Red Tails here in western NC. If they get close, flip to sport mode and go straight up, they can fly like that. The worst birds are the barn swallows, they chase drones all over the place and are relentless.

 

[MS Coast]

I get a lot of attention from Red Tails here in western NC. If they get close, flip to sport mode and go straight up, they can fly like that. The worst birds are the barn swallows, they chase drones all over the place and are relentless.

I can't see why a swallow would be a threat to a drone. They're insect eaters. They're also excellent fliers and not likely to collide with a drone accidentally. I videoed a flock of several hundred tree swallows last year when they were grouping up to migrate and settling in to their roost for the night. They totally ignored the drone.

I'm very curious about your experience. Did they actually approach the drone? How close did they get?

 

[bkushner]

Good point... hadn't thought of that... thanks!

Like this

 

[bkushner]

Here is an image from my video when a Peregrine came off a bridge and came right at me. Swerved and moved on. They are the fastest bird you'll encounter.

 

[MS Coast]

Here is an image from my video when a Peregrine came off a bridge and came right at me. Swerved and moved on. They are the fastest bird you'll encounter. View attachment 141955

Wow! That is the most amazing bird photo from a drone I've ever seen. Can you post some of the video?

I was trying to find an article I read a couple of years ago about a Peregrine's max speed being measure at something like 270 mph using a Navy radar, but didn't come up with it. I did find this one about a fellow who made 200 freefall jumps with his trained Peregrine and documented 242 mph. He also described dropping the bird out the window of a Cessna 172 and having it cruise along just off the wingtip waiting for him to jump.

Falling with the Falcon

Peregrines think simple thoughts: See food. Fly down. Go fast. Very fast.

www.smithsonianmag.com

 

[EsaT]

Excellent Bird pics

Better birds in drone image than fish or lobster...

 

[bkushner]

Wow! That is the most amazing bird photo from a drone I've ever seen. Can you post some of the video?

I was trying to find an article I read a couple of years ago about a Peregrine's max speed being measure at something like 270 mph using a Navy radar, but didn't come up with it. I did find this one about a fellow who made 200 freefall jumps with his trained Peregrine and documented 242 mph. He also described dropping the bird out the window of a Cessna 172 and having it cruise along just off the wingtip waiting for him to jump.

Falling with the Falcon

Peregrines think simple thoughts: See food. Fly down. Go fast. Very fast.

www.smithsonianmag.com

It happened so fast you would miss it if you blinked.

 

[BlairAir]

I'll try one more time. The video I posted was small black birds. Likely crows. I posted it after a post about Hawks and I I mentioned the hawk behavior over my neighborhood. Unrelated other than they're all birds?

As to hawks hunting together, Google "Hawk Kettle"

When hawks do form flocks — called a kettle — it usually is to assist in hunting. They wait for one hawk to find a warm air current, called a thermal, then they all join in, using it to hold them aloft as they soar above and keep an eye out for food below.

Whatever the hawks are in my area they fly together often. So much so, I worry when the cat goes missing.

I was going to remove my post or the crow video, but the thread would have a lot of out of context comments. I'll leave my blunder as a public service announcement. Always use this formula: think -> post, never the inverse.

 

[mavicmaverick]

I see hawks and more often eagles pretty often when I'm flying out in the woods in Northern Michigan. I've been flying for 12 years now and the mavic 3 is the first drone whos sound I've noticed does not seem to scare predator birds. The 28x zoom comes in pretty handy, a few weeks ago I was followed from a distance by a golden and bald eagle and tried out the zoom, amazingly steady but the images falls apart after a bit.

In general, when I see them I try not to impact them so I fly away this was the first time I was followed, normally they fly the other way, even golden eagles and huge ravens.

 

[LA 2020]

I was shooting a neighborhood in Starkville, Mississippi today at 120 meters, and my M3 attracted the attention of a hawk. I quickly dropped down to 35, which was just above the treetops and the hawk moved on to other interests. Anyone have any predator issues from time to time? What are your best suggestions? Thanks!

Hi, I had a problem with seagulls attacking my drone so I put Moon Eyes decals on all my batteries (good blank space). Haven't had a problem since