I investigated an empty nest by Smith & Bybee lakes in Portland, OR, then swooped down to the railroad tracks.



-Topher

Hi there, we really appreciate you for sharing your awesome video here, well done and fly safely. Cheers!

Lower! Lower! ;-) Cool video and fly safe!

Very cool video and editing , were you keeping watch for Momma bird to come swooping down and snatch your drone ? lol

Kingram Posted at 2-5 10:38
Very cool video and editing , were you keeping watch for Momma bird to come swooping down and snatch your drone ? lol

Or the train coming from behind you?

Like the end credits...

If those are power lines that the nest is built on, maybe the occupants got a little induction and decided to vacate the premises  Good video, thanks for sharing.

Nice video.
Do you know what bird occupied the nest?

Nice work Topher!

Flyingcougar Posted at 2-5 10:11
Lower! Lower! ;-) Cool video and fly safe!

I'm working up the courage toward closer and lower. I need to develop trust in the device and wait until I forget how much I paid for it.

Kingram Posted at 2-5 10:38
Very cool video and editing , were you keeping watch for Momma bird to come swooping down and snatch your drone ? lol

As you can see from the plants growing in the nest, I'm pretty sure it's abandoned. I started well above it and checked to see if it looked occupied before approaching. I really don't like to disturb wildlife, especially birds, who have to work hard to fly. I don't have much sense of how birds react to the Mavic yet, but I've had plenty of encounters with eagles and hawks in thermals with my sailplanes, and they seem to view those as just another bird doing their thing.

spandit Posted at 2-5 10:41
Or the train coming from behind you?

Like the end credits...

I had line of sight the whole flight; you can see me standing by the tracks. There were no active trains at that point; if there had been, I'd have tried to get video. For some reason, I'm attracted to trains with the Mavic. I don't know how you search on this forum, but you can see another video I did with a couple of locomotives in the same area.

B1houdini Posted at 2-5 11:37
Nice video.
Do you know what bird occupied the nest?

Given the proximity to the Columbia river, probably osprey, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping to find a heron nest because I see herons all the time and bet they have some really cool nests.

Topher Posted at 2-5 12:19
Given the proximity to the Columbia river, probably osprey, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping to find a heron nest because I see herons all the time and bet they have some really cool nests.

Looking forward to seeing them.
Just be careful, some of those large birds don't take kindly to drones.

Nice work Topher.

Woe Posted at 2-5 15:36
Nice work Topher.

Thank you.

Very nice!

Topher Posted at 2-5 16:33
Thank you.

You're welcome. The blue heron's nest are just on the other side of the tracks
The trees are filled with them.

Great video!
You might have noticed I like trains (and tracks) a lot.
They make for a very nice subject!

PS, I subscribed to your channel (trainsandtrucks is mine)

Montfrooij Posted at 2-6 10:54
Great video!
You might have noticed I like trains (and tracks) a lot.
They make for a very nice subject!

Thanks. I hope you checked out another video of mine in which I follow a couple of locomotives leave the main line and head into the same yard as the nest is in.

Topher Posted at 2-6 11:22
Thanks. I hope you checked out another video of mine in which I follow a couple of locomotives leave the main line and head into the same yard as the nest is in.

You're welcome.
No I have not seen that.
I will check it!

Topher Posted at 2-6 11:22
Thanks. I hope you checked out another video of mine in which I follow a couple of locomotives leave the main line and head into the same yard as the nest is in.

You mean that one?


Yeah, I have seen that!

Topher Posted at 2-5 12:17
I had line of sight the whole flight; you can see me standing by the tracks. There were no active trains at that point; if there had been, I'd have tried to get video. For some reason, I'm attracted to trains with the Mavic. I don't know how you search on this forum, but you can see another video I did with a couple of locomotives in the same area.

I was only teasing - thought it was a great video

Wow, nice done. Guess you can take great photo there!