Drones flying over River Spey at dawn and dusk this week
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Drones will be flying at dawn and dusk this week while research is carried out on a section of the River Spey
The surveys by Air Data Systems are being undertaken to look at bird and mammal behaviour near the mouth of the Spey in low-light conditions.
Their purpose is to see whether this behaviour is contributing to a decline in the numbers of young salmon in the river.
Air Data Systems says the drones will be flying from 45 minutes before dawn to 30 minutes afterwards, then again around dusk.
There will also be additional surveys carry out at random times during the daytime, guided by any initial findings and by input from the Spey Fishery Trust.
A spokesperson for the Leeds-based company said: "The objective of the survey is to capture aerial as well as ground data, across several river side locations to understand what factors could be contributing to the annual decline in the number of Salmon smolts in the river – in this case to survey bird and mammal behaviour in low light conditions.
"Sites where birds are spotted on riverbanks will be visited to collect scat samples for eDNA analysis.
"We are trialling this method as it may be a way to capture the natural behaviour of feeding birds and mammals."
The company says it will do the utmost to respect people's privacy.
