DRONES
Topandbottom:
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endangered
species?
46 BBC WildlifeI
f you have ever marvelled at
dragonflies zooming over a pond,
with their sensational acceleration,
handbrake turns, vertical ascents,
loop-the-loops and screeching stops,
you’re not the only one. Nature’s most
ancient and finest aviators – they can
even fly backwards – are the inspiration for
engineers perfecting the latest generation of
tiny drones, which like the insects boast four
independently mobile, flapping wings. When
it comes to drone technology, it seems that
the sky’s the limit (battery life permitting).
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or
drones as they are invariably known outside
the industry, are having a moment. The Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) estimated that 1.5
million were bought as Christmas presents
in Britain in 2017, since then sales figures
have only gone one way. Then there are
the squadrons of commercial drones, used
by everyone from photographers to estate
agents, roofers, farmers, foresters and the
police. When fitted with cameras, infrared
sensors, lasers, cargo bays and GPS, drones
become very sophisticated pieces of kit.
As with mobile phones though, the rapid
spread of a powerful new gadget has thrilled
and appalled us in equal measure. What
counts as acceptable behaviour? Should we
be free to enjoy our devices wherever and
however we like, or might society have to
rein them in? Drones are already subject to
basic regulations, overseen by the CAA. But
some people – including reserve wardens
and nature lovers worried about disturbance
to wildlife – argue we need something akin to
an aerial version of the countryside code.Floating on air
Many UK zoologists are nevertheless
ecstatic about the possibilities drones offer.
“This is the coolest study of my 25 years
in science,” said Dr Matt Wood of the
University of Gloucestershire, referring to
research in which colonies of nesting gulls
were photographed by drone then counted
by computer. Drones have proved to be
invaluable conservation tools. The RSPB, for
instance, uses them to monitor water levels
at its Rainham reserve near London, check
dams and ditches on the Forsinard Flows
peatland in Scotland, locate marsh harrier
nests in Suffolk, and survey seabirds on
Bempton’s white cliffs in Yorkshire.