Seagulls Hate My P4!!

DHUimitedPhoto

DHUimitedPhoto

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Does anyone have any advice on deterring seagulls at the beach from attacking- even CRAPPING on my quad?

I'm a retired F-16 pilot and I was still hit with unguided ordinance...

I was taking a group shot at a Santa Cruz volleyball tournament. On the positive side, everyone was laughing and smiling in the photo because I was dodging flying rats between photo attempts...

Has anyone found a good way to keep them away (without extreme violence)?
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In one of older threads I read about use sticky eyes - might scare the birds. Or make them laugh to fall down. At least worth to a try..
 

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Hahaa! That just might work! I was reading that they don't like owl faces or anything that looks like a meat eating bird.

My impression was that they thought my drone was going to eat their babies or take over their territory. I wonder if eyes would really help if that's the case. They may already think it's a bird.


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True flyboy73. They may have seen me beating up on all those Lemoore F-18 dudes...




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You could have placed a big bucket of hot chips about 200 metres from where you intended to fly.

Seriously though they are a menace.

The biggest problem i have with them is when they are in large numbers on the ground along the shore line. They take off all at once as you approach and randomly circle. Its more like an obstacle course than planned attack. Best option is to climb and head over land (away from the ocean).

In your case you probably got their attention as you were hovering or flying slowly in a small area.

I have found avoiding flying over them or hovering near them they usually show little interest. If you catch them with the shadow from your AC it seems to spook them.
 
Flyboy - it is a great plane. The F-16 does what you want it to do and is very easy to fly. Going from the T-38 (that will kill you for fun...) to the F-16 was great. It does have a high crash rate. People just forget that you can't fly through rocks...


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I like
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the bucket of chips idea.

These guys were attacking, and actually following me a long way sometimes. They dive on the drone repeatedly.

I put it in sport mode and did things they can't do (including running away at almost 50mph...)

I think my issue was, at least partly, that I tried to get a shot right where many of them must nest. In the tower in this picture. This was one of my first shots and they were pissed.



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I am headed back to the beach in a couple days. I'm going to try using a sharpie to color one of the two blades of each prop black on top to create some freaky motion that might confuse and deter them.

I also ordered a skin that is dark silver but has an iridescent glow with sunlight that moves with the angles, also to freak out and confuse the birds. I'll let you know if I survive...
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Sorry, didn't mean to post the P-51 twice.. Here's a confusing B-24



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DHUimitedPhoto said:
I like
8e63d9842afacccd875165ab27256e45.jpg
the bucket of chips idea.

These guys were attacking, and actually following me a long way sometimes. They dive on the drone repeatedly.

I put it in sport mode and did things they can't do (including running away at almost 50mph...)

I think my issue was, at least partly, that I tried to get a shot right where many of them must nest. In the tower in this picture. This was one of my first shots and they were pissed.



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Click to expand...
Thats a beautifully framed shot.
 
Thank you! I was a lot closer than it looks. Sometimes I wish I could change from the wide algae lens.

Here is what I just did to my P-4 to try to deter the gulls this Wednesday. The prop effect isn't very noticeable unfortunately, but there is some freakyness and weird motion from it. I don't think there was an imbalance issue. I hope not!

I tried to put my best hawk eyes on the front with a dry erase marker and a highlighter.

My guess is that the gulls will act pretty much the same...
fd63f0cd3b75f6a504a8b150450d4180.jpg



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DHUimitedPhoto said:
Thank you! I was a lot closer than it looks. Sometimes I wish I could change from the wide algae lens.

Here is what I just did to my P-4 to try to deter the gulls this Wednesday. The prop effect isn't very noticeable unfortunately, but there is some freakyness and weird motion from it. I don't think there was an imbalance issue. I hope not!

I tried to put my best hawk eyes on the front with a dry erase marker and a highlighter.

My guess is that the gulls will act pretty much the same...
fd63f0cd3b75f6a504a8b150450d4180.jpg



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Click to expand...
I suspect they will still go for you despite your artistic touches with the sharpie.

I hadnt seen the territorial behaviour with gulls, i suspect your are right that the tower is a roosting spot.

I have had some VERY close calls from ravens comming after me and i instantly sweat if eagles seem even slightly curious.

An old bush pilot (small helis and fixed wing AC used on his cattle property) told me fly up and away in the opposite direction of approach and eagles loose interest. Probably in their bird sized brain they think they have scared you away and you are defeated...
 
That sounds like good advice. I did run away a few times and I can out climb them easily (which doesn't help if they are above me).

My problem is that I'm trying to take pictures in a relatively small area and they don't want me there. I run away, come back, and they come back aggressively.

I think I'll just minimize my flight time and be careful not to get taken down. I don't want to hurt them either. Well, sometimes I do... But ill suppress that...


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DHUimitedPhoto said:
That sounds like good advice. I did run away a few times and I can out climb them easily (which doesn't help if they are above me).

My problem is that I'm trying to take pictures in a relatively small area and they don't want me there. I run away, come back, and they come back aggressively.

I think I'll just minimize my flight time and be careful not to get taken down. I don't want to hurt them either. Well, sometimes I do... But ill suppress that...


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Click to expand...
My freind (the pilot) has on more than one occasion had to use the reatreat while climbing strategy with eagles. They dont concern him as much in the fixed wings however i can appreciate his anxiety with the helis, no option of a good landing if he looses his tail rotor. He doesnt scare easy either- i have flown with him doing banking turns where i was conconced a main rotor blade was going to hit the ground (herding cattle).
 
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I went back and they were more aggressive than ever! It is these two big seagulls that sit on two chimneys across the street from the beach like bully local surfers...

I'm ready to get a couple used P2s and have friends buzz around them while I take pictures in peace...


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