Camera catches drone scaring Wellington Point ospreys away from chick
Quest Newspapers
A DRONE that forced a pair or parent ospreys to leave their nest and their chick has been caught on camera.
Wellington Point resident Paul Harper lives near osprey nest and caught the drone hovering near the nest — forcing the parents away from it and their baby.
“It certainly caused some concern for them, the adults just kept circling the nest and didn’t come back for some time,” Mr Harper said.
He said he was not sure if the controller was trying to harass the birds or film them.
“But anyone would know that flying a drone around the nest would cause them distress, so the person who did it is either arrogant or ignorant about wildlife,” he said.
A Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection spokeswoman said the court could impose a penalty of $117,000 or one year’s imprisonment, if flying the drone near the nest caused or attempted to cause harm under the Nature Conservation Act.
She said this could include injuring the birds or causing abandonment of eggs or chicks.
“While there have been reports of unmanned aerial vehicles causing problems for wildlife overseas, no significant problems have been reported yet in Queensland,” she said.
“Operators of UAVs should plan ahead to ensure that aircraft will not cause harm to native wildlife.”
She also stated drones could have a positive effect on wildlife conservation when used responsibly for population surveys, habitat monitoring or preventing poaching.
The birds built their nest on a specially designed pole that Redland City Council erected in April and have become an attraction in the area.
Redland City Council Mayor Karen Williams urged residents to report any harassment of wildlife to council.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call Redland City Council on 3829 8999.
