Dorset - Warning

[Tricky Lad]

This headline article appeared in the Dorset Echo this week warning of the risk of drones disturbing nesting wild birds across heathland and also alarming livestock in the county. It emphasizes the legal and sensible guidelines when flying drones and this has to be welcomed.
However, it would be interesting (and I have queried this point with the journalist) to know the number of occasions this is known to have occurred or reported upon, especially the frightening and panicking of cattle & sheep by the drone noise. Considering most of the open areas in Dorset are effectively no-go areas being owned by the National Trust, Forestry Commission,

etc., it may be more likely that such disturbances are caused by other factors, e.g. walkers and unleashed dogs. Unfortunately, more adverse publicity by the media - whether justified remains to be seen.

 

[DreamToFly]

It's clear to see, that the Aviation authorities and some governments have a vendetta against private drones. This comes as no surprise. Just reading it you can tell it's loaded in order to sway the reader into viewing recreational drone flying as something negative.

 

[African wildlife]

I'm British and a wildlife expert (but not a "greenie").

Would I allow hobby drone use on our private nature reserves? No.

Do they disturb wildlife? Yes.

(The same answers apply to walkers and dogs.)

We use our P4P+ drone professionally, as and when needed.

Most human activity has a negative effect on wildlife. Controlled tourism is - overall - a positive trade-off. Just because "human rights" are currently dominant over "human responsibilities" doesn't make it right. And the normalised self-orientated behaviour of billions of people is simply that: normalised. Technology has wonderfully expanded the horizons of what is possible. Now psychological awareness needs to catch up. Use of the human brain isn't even anywhere near the P1 stage (using drone comparison), despite it being 2018.

Drone owners need to appreciate that the growing public perception of recreational drone use as negative is not without good reason.

As for disturbing cattle and sheep, this doesn't bother me at all (unless there is serious intent to torment). These are domestic farm animals, used to humans, moved from A to B by farmers, and bred for eating. That said, if everyone became vegetarian, this simple change in behaviour alone would free-up huge amounts of land that could be used as nature reserves.

 

[THECaptainKirk]

What a utopia that would be - a vegan world with even more nature reserves that self-acclaimed do gooders could ban the public from flying over. God forbid any nature is ever “disturbed” by man and technology. It’s only going to get worse as long as we allow our freedoms to be stripped in the name of privacy, safety, security and the ultimate no no of upsetting some mule deer on the countryside in some nature reserve. Brrrrrother.

 

[jason]

What a utopia that would be - a vegan world with even more nature reserves that self-acclaimed do gooders could ban the public from flying over. God forbid any nature is ever “disturbed” by man and technology. It’s only going to get worse as long as we allow our freedoms to be stripped in the name of privacy, safety, security and the ultimate no no of upsetting some mule deer on the countryside in some nature reserve. Brrrrrother.

Here's the perfect solution

 

[THECaptainKirk]

Whatever that means...that video has been around awhile. To fly in an area like that is moronic and the op and his phantom got what it deserved there.

However, in my view - to ban flying in areas like, for example here in the Denver area the old Rocky Mountsin Arsenal is a “wildlife refuge”. Now, you can trample all over it with your bicycles, hike, canoe, etc. but no drones allowed. It’s a silly rule, but very popular. So many beautiful areas are off limits to even responsible licensed fliers, which is nonsense. And the people making these rules don’t know the first thing about aerial photography or how seriously we take flying safely and responsibly. Same goes for national parks. These huge areas of wilderness cut off from aerial photography only because it’s popular to ban what we do in areas like that. It accomplished nothing, really. Soon enough - only law enforcement and aerial mapping with strict supervision vision will be all that is allowed - all while a great majority of people in this very forum will sit back and let it happen and even agree while it’s happening. I don’t get it.