This thread replaces Satellite Tracked Ospreys March-August 2010
It has been set up to follow the Autumn 2010 migration of ospreys tracked by satellite, other than those from Loch Garten. Comments about the travels of Rothes, hatched at Loch Garten in 2009, should be posted on the “Tracking Rothes and Mallachie” thread: http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/groups/lochgartenospreys/forum/t/3440.aspx
UK Organisations known to be currently tracking ospreys, and the birds involved, are as follows:
Roy Dennis, Highland Foundation for Wildlife – Scotland
Website: http://www.roydennis.org/osprey/index.asp
Beatrice
Adult female, hatched 2000, tagged 2008, ring Green 5B. Beatrice moved to a new nest in East Moray in Spring 2010, as her previous mate did not return from migration. On all of her tracked migrations, she has taken a stopover on the River Adour, near Dax in the Landes department of SW France. Her wintering site is on the Guadiaro river in southern Spain, NE of Gibraltar.
Morven
Adult female, hatched 2003, tagged 2008, ring White PE. Morven’s nest site is near Forres, Moray (with Talisman). So far, she has only taken stopovers on spring migrations, in the Villaviciosa estuary in the Asturias region of northern Spain - http://www.riadevillaviciosa.org/ . Her wintering site is the desert coast of Mauritania, north of the capital, Nouakchott.
Nimrod
Adult male, hatched 2001, tagged 2008, ring Red 7J. Nimrod’s nest site is also near Forres. He tends to take a stopover, of varying length, around the Ile d’Oleron, Charente-Maritime, western France. He winters on the Rio Cachine in Guinea Bissau.
Talisman
Adult male, hatched 1999, tagged 2009, ring Black 6R. Talisman’s nest site is near Forres, Moray (with Morven).On both his tracked migrations, he has had a stopover at the Roxo Reservoir, Alentejo, Portugal http://www.avesdeportugal.info/sitroxo.html . He winters on the Ilha de Enu, Bijagos Islands, Guinea Bissau – not far from Rothes.
Red 8T
Adult male, hatched 2001, tagged 2009, ring Red 8T. Red 8T nests in Strathspey, near the Rothiemurchus fishery. His wintering site is on the Casamanche River near Ziguinchor, southern Senegal. He doesn’t seem to do stopovers!
Rothiemurchus
Immature male hatched 2009, ring Blue AE. Hatched on Rothiemurchus Estate, near Aviemore, Highland. On his first migration south, after a narrow escape over the Atlantic, he spent 5 weeks on the Rio Paiva, Aveiro District, Portugal. He continued safely to Africa and has since spent his time exploring Senegal.
Spey
Juvenile Male, hatched 2010, ring Blue AS. Hatch site near Elgin, East Moray, Scotland.
Lake District Osprey Project, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria, England
Project website: http://www.ospreywatch.co.uk/
Tracking reports on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatch/
Juvenile Males, hatched 2010 - elder Chick White 12 and younger White 11
Rutland Water Osprey Project
There is no current satellite tracking, but posts may occasionally refer back to the tracking which was done from 1999-2002 - here's the link to all the records:
http://www.ospreys.org.uk/satellite.html
Sandy, you say of crossing the Sahara... "which lots of birds do, but all get through eventually". I wouldn't go so far as to say that. The Sahara must claim a great many birds lives (especially inexperienced juves) and I for one will always be apprehensive for them and relieved when they make it through.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
Ive been offline for a week or so, -very frustrating! -but now have a new router.
I have also been putting pins on Google Earth and was alarmed to see no11 at Cap Blanc, the photos there show old rusty ships and no trees, a horrid place. It is quite worrying for both of them.
Sorry Chloe, I didn't make myself clear (it was very late!) - I was referring to satellite tracked birds when I said that they all get through. I'm not aware of any that have definitely perished in traversing the Sahara. I'm sure that it must claim many bird's lives, especially juveniles, but perhaps not as many as we might have imagined before the advent of this technology.
I agree that this part of their journey is the most worrying for those of us following their progress so intently. It seems such a harsh and alien landscape for these birds that we can't help but be concerned for their welfare. Added to that, because of the tracking, we are now aware how long it can take them to cross the desert and reach the lusher wetlands via this route - which makes it worse, knowing they have no opportunities to eat at all.
I was pointing out what others have said before, that there is no easy route to West Africa and those that go via the coast can face as many pitfalls as those that travel further inland. 11 is facing (or by now probably has faced) his biggest obstacle in reaching safe wintering territory. However, he has undertaken the boldest and fastest migration that I've seen from a juvenile and if past form is anything to go by he'll be joining Rothes or Rothie in the next couple of days - let's hope so!
Sandy I would say this bird 03 (01) perished in the desert. See http://www.ospreys.org.uk/satresultsU03.html
and S8H See http://www.ospreys.org.uk/satresultsS8H.html
Pete certainly did so. See http://www.luomus.fi/english/zoology/satelliteospreys/pete/index.htm
Tiger Signature
Oh dear, I wish I had not looked at those links - too upsetting.
Waiting for the next update with eveything crossed !
Red8T has started his migration:
http://www.roydennis.org/osprey/index.asp?id=200&sid=171
Interesting read about crossing Sahara Desert http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/3/297.short
my photos in flickr
Alan Great to hear that Red 8T has had another good season and is on his way back to Africa. Not sure if you are a member of Birdforum but there are some great threads in that from 2005 when Red 8T was wooing EJ at Loch Garten.
Unknown said: Interesting read about crossing Sahara Desert http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/3/297.short
Auntie That sounds like a really great paper. Great find.
I recently found this interesting blog, by a couple attempting to cycle through Africa (sadly the attempt was curtailed by illness). Some of the blogs give a good idea of what conditions are like for humans in the desert. Start with the blog "Waiting for happiness in Nouadhibou (Cap Blanc)" and work up.
http://www.listentoafrica.com/blog/page/3/