After Tiger started the thread for tracking Rothes and Mallachie I thought that we could do with a thread for the tracking of ospreys fitted with transmitters by Roy Dennis. As the "summer" marches on it won't be long before the only way we can get our osprey fix is to follow their migrations.
This year we have the opportunity of following all three tagged birds from last year: Nimrod, Beatrice and Morven. It will be fascinating to find out if they will winter in exactly the same place as last year, and also whether they take the same route.
Added to that Roy has tagged two more adult males this year, Red/white 8T (an Abernethy bird) and Morven's other half (Logie's ex fella). I'm not certain whether Roy has any further transmitters or will attempt to catch any more adult males but, including Rothes and Mallachie, we will be able to follow at least 7 ospreys on their incredible journeys this autumn.
Unknown said: Update from Roy Dennis, on Talisman only - he has now reached the Cacheu river in Guinea Bissau.
Update from Roy Dennis, on Talisman only - he has now reached the Cacheu river in Guinea Bissau.
Thanks for that Sue C. Is he "home" or has he a little further to go? He could be on track for the Bijagos Islands.
Another update from Roy - Rothiemurchus is on the move again. Last data saw him travelling south through Portugal, parallel to the coast. I think Roy is hoping he won't go for another long sea crossing!
Thanks, Sue C - despite regular checks on Roy's site you beat me to the update again! Great to know that very soon all this year's migrants will be in Africa (apart from Beatrice, of course). He is very close to the coast and on present heading with a NE wind it certainly looks like another long sea crossing.
What has surprised me this year is the number of prolonged sea crossings undertaken by different birds. I had also expected that more of them would cross nearer to Gibraltar, the classic raptor route into Africa. Whether these individuals do this every year or have been pushed further west because of the prevailing wind direction I hope we get to know in following years!
Rather than being a problem, however, it seems to have aided these birds in shortening the amount of time spent over the Sahara. Those taking a more coastal route have reached their wintering grounds more quickly than those going further inland.
Rothie has already completed one mammoth sea crossing and if he does get into trouble he can always hitch a ride on another boat!
Update on Rothie: He did head out over the sea but tracked eastwards again to follow the coast down to the south of Portugal and at 6pm tonight was just 14kms north west of Lagos.
Judging by his position at 6pm it looks very much that he's going to carry straight on and take on the sea crossing tonight.
Talisman in the Bijagos Islands! He made the crossing from mainland Guinea Bissau at lunchtime yesterday and is currently on the small un-named island to the south-west of Ilha Das Galinhas.
That is really great news Sandy. It makes you wonder just how many ospreys winter in those islands. Looking at Rothes movements she has already visited the island that Talisman is on.
Thanks for the update Sandy. Great news
Can I say a big thank you to you all for your constant updates. I now find I look here for any news and then update my own records. Lazy, I know, but I am grateful.
Cirrus, I meant to say, I hadn't heard of Rob Bierregaard's site when you mentioned it 14/10, but have looked it up since - thanks. This is a field study of the migration of ospreys from the East Coast of the USA - current web page http://www.bioweb.uncc.edu/Bierregaard/maps09/2009_map_links.htm
Interesting comparisons, though I'm not sure I have the time to start following a whole new set of ospreys! I see that many of them fly 1200 miles direct from New England to the Caribbean (and most make it), which bears out Sandy's point that ospreys aren't scared to fly over the sea. After all they do hunt over water, which is different from most birds of prey. All the same, I would prefer to hear that Rothiemurchus roosted near Lagos and then carried on E along the coast for a bit - nothing from Roy yet.
I enjoyed following Jukka's trip across Puglia and Basilicata in Southern Italy - he passed close to Castel del Monte, http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/casteldelmonte.html which I'd like to see myself. Will carry on checking for updates (as ever)
Great news from Rothie. According to Roy a textbook flight across the Atlantic to Morocco. I'm so pleased for him. He's won a corner of my heart ever since his hairy journey to Portugal!