Seagulls - 0 Drone - 1 Aggressive Birds

[DaveR1977]

Been flying Mavics for a few years now and the local Gulls and I seem to have reached an agreement. They check out the drone and then leave it alone. I had a few "Bumps" and have landed with a chunk or two out of the props.

I started flying a P4P v2 recently and the same gulls are Hyper-aggressive towards this particular drone. They literally start attacking the moment I launch. Sunday's encounter did not end well for the bird it appears. (No damage to prop or drone.)

Thoughts on "prop-guards"? My concern is that the drone can obviously survive a limited amount of direct contact, but a "prop guard" may flex into the path of the prop and cause a catastrophic failure. These are heavy birds and attack with quite a bit of force.

 

[MapMaker53]

Just a suggestion I have made in the past based on my experience. I have found a pair of menacing eyes (decals) and a strobe mounted on the top of the hull seems to make an effective bird deterrent. Birds will generally attack from a superior position being above and behind their prey, when their target is not looking directly at them. And the strobe continually adds flash spots into their keen vision and they don't quite know how to deal with that. I've witnessed curious crows approach my P4P, only to abruptly fly off when they got close. Another time it was surrounded by a large swarm of Barn Swallows that clearly kept their distance. Seems to work so far.

I suspect that location near the water is probably the gull's nesting grounds. They will be very aggressive if you are operating near their nests.

 

[DaveR1977]

Just a suggestion I have made in the past based on my experience. I have found a pair of menacing eyes (decals) and a strobe mounted on the top of the hull seems to make an effective bird deterrent. Birds will generally attack from a superior position being above and behind their prey, when their target is not looking directly at them. And the strobe continually adds flash spots into their keen vision and they don't quite know how to deal with that. I've witnessed curious crows approach my P4P, only to abruptly fly off when they got close. Another time it was surrounded by a large swarm of Barn Swallows that clearly kept their distance. Seems to work so far.

View attachment 125361

Can't hurt. I can pop those strobes on and see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Martin Healy]

Just a suggestion I have made in the past based on my experience. I have found a pair of menacing eyes (decals) and a strobe mounted on the top of the hull seems to make an effective bird deterrent. Birds will generally attack from a superior position being above and behind their prey, when their target is not looking directly at them. And the strobe continually adds flash spots into their keen vision and they don't quite know how to deal with that. I've witnessed curious crows approach my P4P, only to abruptly fly off when they got close. Another time it was surrounded by a large swarm of Barn Swallows that clearly kept their distance. Seems to work so far.

I suspect that location near the water is probably the gull's nesting grounds. They will be very aggressive if you are operating near their nests.

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Hi, I would be grateful if you could share links to the eyes decal and the strobe.
All the best, Matin

 

[MapMaker53]

Hi, I would be grateful if you could share links to the eyes decal and the strobe.
All the best, Matin

Here are the various strobe lights. They are incredibly bright. I just Velcro the tiny circuit board to the top of the hull.

As for the eye decals, I basically made my own by finding some menacing eyes on the internet and printing them on Avery peel-off label sheets. I believe you can find those sheets at Staples. As for the exact eyes I used, it was many years ago and unfortunately I can't recall exactly what website I found them on.

 

[Martin Healy]

Here are the various strobe lights. They are incredibly bright. I just Velcro the tiny circuit board to the top of the hull.

As for the eye decals, I basically made my own by finding some menacing eyes on the internet and printing them on Avery peel-off label sheets. I believe you can find those sheets at Staples. As for the exact eyes I used, it was many years ago and unfortunately I can't recall exactly what website I found them on.

Thank you for sharing

 

[ip_droning]

Here are the various strobe lights. They are incredibly bright. I just Velcro the tiny circuit board to the top of the hull.

How effective are the strobes ? I have a couple of plovers decided to nest in my paddock, where my normal flight training area is. While they look cool doing an attack runs on my drone (and me - smart buggers, figured out who's in control), I don't want blood splatter. One already lost some feathers. I try to give them space, but they will try to attack even 50-100 m away from their nest.

I'm not sure "angry eyes" will help in this case, as I watched them attack and chase away a hawk twice their size.

 

[MapMaker53]

How effective are the strobes ? I have a couple of plovers decided to nest in my paddock, where my normal flight training area is. While they look cool doing an attack runs on my drone (and me - smart buggers, figured out who's in control), I don't want blood splatter. One already lost some feathers. I try to give them space, but they will try to attack even 50-100 m away from their nest.

I'm not sure "angry eyes" will help in this case, as I watched them attack and chase away a hawk twice their size.

Sure, but I bet they attacked the hawk from behind when it wasn't looking directly at them. Like I said, I believe a stobe light is the more effective deterrent because it temporarily messes up their vision. Just let the strobe flash 5 or more times in YOUR face and see how well you see. If I don't cover the LEDs with my thumb when i go to shut them off, after a few flashes I can't even find the button due to all of the flash spots in my eyes. A bird's vision is even more sensitive to light and detail, and they don't close their eyes when flying. I've seen birds keep their distance even when eager to attack, so my assumption is the strobe is working. Best of luck if you try it.

 

[Wavepilot]

Sure, but I bet they attacked the hawk from behind when it wasn't looking directly at them. Like I said, I believe a stobe light is the more effective deterrent because it temporarily messes up their vision. Just let the strobe flash 5 or more times in YOUR face and see how well you see. If I don't cover the LEDs with my thumb when i go to shut them off, after a few flashes I can't even find the button due to all of the flash spots in my eyes. A bird's vision is even more sensitive to light and detail, and they don't close their eyes when flying. I've seen birds keep their distance even when eager to attack, so my assumption is the strobe is working. Best of luck if you try it.

I too found that strobes have lessened the curiosity of birds towards my drones. Perhaps they see the lights and associate the drone as being manmade and unthreatening rather than a natural predator.