Tracking Loch Garten Ospreys : July 2011- May 2012

Newsflash from the Gironde ...... when two ospreys meet.

"When two ospreys meet ... Rothes, the Scottish osprey stationed for weeks near Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde had the company on August 21, of Beatrice, an adult Scottish female also equipped, with a satellite beacon, who flew by at 14.00hrs over the site occupied by Rothes. Both birds have probably seen each other. Beatrice continued her journey to Africa and Spain which is the latest news. Rothes, after a short break in the Medoc is back on the right bank of the Gironde ..."

Story by courtesy of lpo/f-c-m. I shall send them a copy of this post.

Translation by jsb. The French version does say probably, I did not make it up! (Les deux oiseaux se sont probablement vus.)

Beatrice: On the 21st at 14.000hrs French time was where, according to RD?

Guess what - correlation.

.....at 1400 hrs she was flying East, at 36km/hr at Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde.

We may not get this verified any further, unless a photo is uncovered, which is extremely unlikely, so this to my knowledge is the first time that two ospreys, tagged by RD have met on migration. However looking at Roy's map of the 21st, it does look like a kink in Beatrice's trajectory, where she seems to be investigating the fish farm, as two blobs are close together, indicating a stop. Now if Beatrice was splashing around, trying to catch a sturgeon, trying being the operative word in view of their size, Rothes would be bound to see and hear the commotion caused by her.

Maybe this has been reported somewhere on RSPB community, but I have not seen it so far.

EDIT: 00.01 hrs Thurs 1st Sept.

RD image of Beatrice on 21st Aug.

Google map of fish farm of Dr Jones, pinned.

FURTHER EDIT: Since there are tree 'blobs' and assuming that they are at hourly intervals, it therefore can be assumed that Beatrice was in this small area for between two hours minimum and maybe up to three hours plus. What I mean is that she could have arrived before the first fix and remained after the third fix. That's not counting the top blob, which is quite close by, if you include that, you add another hour.

Another thought, what does an osprey think and how does it react, when it meets another one with an antenna on its back? :o)

ANOTHER EDIT WITH ROTHES' SAT FIXES FOR THE 21ST AUGUST, LOOKS LIKE SHE WAS AT HOME ALL DAY.

More info on timing ... re Beatrice, RD says ...

" She set off south across the river at 1530 from South of Blaye to Margaux."

So their encounter would have been shorter than suggested above.