If you hate the distinctive whir of a drone buzzing overhead while you’re enjoying a beach day, you’re not the only one. For one southern California beach the problem lead to a bunch of bird eggs getting abandoned and an all out ban of drones.
ABC7 reports thousands of elegant tern eggs were left abandoned over the last month at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve after two drones crashed into their nest. Officials are now cracking down on illegal drones in the Bolsa Chica State Beach in Southern California which is home for 800 species of plants and animals, terrestrial and aquatic.
We love drones but they have their proper place and time. Don’t let knuckleheads like the ones that crashed theirs at bird reserve ruin it for folks who use them responsibly. Know the rules, follow them, and get sick footy.
The most graphic display of increased vandalism at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is seen in a heartbreaking photograph. The photo shows 1,500 elegant tern eggs left abandoned because of illegal drone use.
CDFW was hoping to bring attention to the growing problem of illegal drone use over an ecological reserve, when a drone pilot unintentionally helped make the point. Thursday, at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, a drone operator was cited by wildlife officers for violating the rule that is meant to protect the bird populations that nest at the reserve. This was after an earlier drone crash caused thousands of elegant terns to abandon their eggs. Visitors to the reserve are also being urged to take better care of the reserve by following other rules such as no bikes, and no dogs. About 800 species of plants and animals call Bolsa Chica home, 23 of which are endangered. Here’s the ABC 7 story that included video of the drone and it’s operator being grounded.
