THe Ireland Translocation

Many thanks Tiger. I much appreciate being kept up todate about this.

For those (like me) who have no idea how translocation works two articles about the process:

www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/.../

and

scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/.../

One main concern I have of this project is the first migration. It concerns me what initial bearing these chicks will take. It appears apparent in some cases the ospreys have an inbred signal where to go and on what bearing as has been seen that young have followed similar routes as one of the parents has in the past and wintered in similar locations.
If these young started on a similar bearing as they would have if they had departed from Trondheim natal nest area then I think they could be in trouble and possibly lost out in the Atlantic.
Can anyone expertise on this area of concern.
I am very supportive of translocation especially what Rutland has done to ospreys all over England and Wales and wish Poole a similar success in years to come.
Likewise my wish is these translocated chicks to the Republic of Ireland will flourish and maybe head towards SW England/Wales to touch first land or even NW France rather that out at sea for a prolonged time.
I am sure the project has thought this out or I hope so and I guess some will be tracked to see the migration path to evaluate further translocations.
Personally I would have preferred a translocation from UK for this reason and that would have to have been from Scotland until England/Wales reach a point to sustain a translocation.
I should be pleased if anyone else has these concerns over migration bearings or maybe it is not an issue.

Here is a link - I think.  

Looks as though they are coming down over the Central Belt

Well passed Belfast now, and heading for the border

Unknown said:

I should be pleased if anyone else has these concerns over migration bearings

That's a very interesting question Keith but I don't know the answer. There are various studies I think of migration in ospreys - eg Tim Mackrill's PhD. But I think these relate to ospreys who haven't been translocated at all and/or translocated 'within country'.

I think there's evidence to show that some red kites translocated from eg Norway to Scotland do show some inherited characteristics eg moving further south in winter to better climates. They are not a migratory species of course. See this report.

Like you, I'd like to think that this project has researched this issue and it's possible that there have been other 'out of country' translocations which show migration bearings aren't an issue. 

KORKY - Thanks for your thoughts and hope others can advise me on this matter.
We have seen out of country translocations with a similar mileage and movement in longitude east when the first 6 ospreys were translocated from Scotland to Switzerland. However this particular translocation is a good movement in longitude west.
At migration one monitored went in a bearing roughly 180 degrees towards Northern Italy, The Mediterranean and into Algeria a similar bearing if they had migrated from Scotland via the south coast example Hampshire/Dorset.
If this was repeated in ROI then it would put the young ospreys out to sea maybe making first land NW Spain (Coruna) but if that was missed then maybe Morocco as first landing.
Just a concern.
Are these birds being released SW Ireland in Co Kerry ?.
They may be smarter than I ever thought and head towards Wales/Devon then to Brittany France as a safer bet. Only time will tell.

I have been looking for the project details, but have singularly failed!  There is someone on a private FB site who comments, hasn't as far as I can tell yet given a link to a particular project.  There is a brief Birdguides link, but nothing scientific, here, which suggests Co Waterford and Co Wexford will be the areas for release.

I have no idea whether this is a one-off for over a number of years.

THe reason Kerry was chosen for arrival is that it is quiet and not too much paperwork.

The bird now go to Wexford I believe to spend the time to migration.