Having just posted a blog an hour ago, saying not much news, I now have more.
I've just heard from John Wright whose been on the hunt for downed Oighrig in Senegal. Many thank to John for his efforts, for getting in touch and for the pictures of Oighrig's last known position & resting place. Looking at the pictures, it is hardly surprising that he's not been found.
John reports as follows:
I have attached a few photographs from our search for your tagged juvenile osprey (Oighrig) near Toubacouta. We were extremely surprised to find such a big wetland when we arrived at the GPS co-ordinates. The Google Earth image did show the remnants of a water body but not on this scale! A boy from the nearby village (Keur Mama Lamine) told us that the extent of water was exceptional for this area and had occurred after heavier than normal rains the previous autumn. You can see in the photos, submerged signs and fencing indicating flooding. Unbelievable!
We asked him whether local people fished the wetland and he said "what fish". Clearly there isn't normally any fish of significant size to fish for and there were no signs of nets or boats anywhere. The GPS took us to within 164 meters of the last position for Oighrig, a clump of submerged trees visible in Photo 1. The water was too deep to attempt wading out and I have seen large crocodiles at a different wetland not too far away from this one in the past! Frustratingly, most wetlands of this size in Gambia and Senegal are fished and it is often quite easy to get a local to take you out in his dug-out.
At least six ospreys were present including both adult and juveniles (the closest adult and juvenile seen being unringed).You can see them in pictures 4 & 5. I would guess that there must be fish present given that six ospreys were there and I saw two birds attempting to fish. Though it isn't too far to fly to other good fishing areas either. However, given that there were no signs of fishing nets/hunters I can only assume that your juvenile died of natural causes, or had at least, not been intentionally killed by man. I suppose you can't rule out the possibility of the tag having fallen off (a slim chance but you never know).
John
That's brilliant to have received this report from John. It's odd that he reports ospreys here - and not just one - in an area where there are no fishing activities because apparently there are no fish. Or are there? What lies beneath? One possible explanation as to quite why an apprently fish-less spot was being frequented by Oighrig and other ospreys, might be that though this extent of water and flooding is unusual, when it occurred it had prompted fish to appear - lung fish.
I remember vividly an episode of David Attenborough's Life On Earth, back in 1979 when, in his inimitable style - "here, in West Africa" - he dug up a clod of earth and dropped it into a tank of water. Before the very eyes of us beguiled viewers, as the water softened the soil and it gradually fell away into solution, as if by magic a fish appeared, a lung fish. I'm trying to recall David's explantion and my own A level zoology from way back, but I think these creatures are able to survive prolonged periods of drought by going into a state of torpor / suspended animation / dormancy / aestivation. In the absence of water from which to absord oxygen, at these times of drought they are able to breathe air even when entombed in hardend mud, through cracks and gaps in the soil structure, not via gills but via a type of lung - an outpocketing of the gut - like the swim ladder, through which it can gulp air.
Could it be then, that the unusual heavy rains triggered the re-emergence of a hidden lung fish population, or some at least, that caught the attention of ospreys? Having been lured, speculatively to the area of flood in search of food, and perhaps to avoid confrontation and competition with more experienced adult birds at more profitable fishing sites on the coast, Oighrig and other ospreys tried their luck here, but were perhaps unable to find adequate fish? Who knows. Just a thought.