Drones vs Seagulls: A Topographical Survey in Penarth

An interesting 3D topographical survey near Penarth, with tree-height measurement as the main objective. The team set out ground control points across the site to anchor the model, then sent the drone up on its planned waypoints to capture overlapping photogrammetry of the terrain and canopy below.

Not every obstacle in a survey is technical. Two local seagulls took exception to the drone's flightpath and began circling and calling as soon as the waypoints started, so the crew applied a quick climb to 350 ft AGL each time to let them settle before continuing. The pattern repeated a handful of times before the gulls lost interest and the survey ran to completion without further incident.

Alongside the tree-height data and photogrammetric model delivered for the client, the same flights picked up wider aerial coverage of Penarth Pier and Cardiff Bay, a reminder that a well-flown survey mission often earns its keep twice over.