This thread has been set up to follow the travels of Caledonia and Alba, the young ospreys raised at Loch Garten in 2012.
Their mother is “EJ”, the resident female at Loch Garten since 2003; there is some doubt about the identity of their biological father, given EJ’s dalliance with a male from a neighbouring nest, Blue XD, both before and after the return of her regular partner Odin, who raised them.
Caledonia hatched on 16th May and Alba on 18th May; they both fledged on 14th July.
This is a link to the Loch Garten blog describing the ringing and satellite tagging.
Caledonia’s ring is Blue/White AA1, reading downwards. Alba’s is Blue/White AA2, reading upwards.
Following the tracking
This page gives a quick overview of the routes on a map, which will be more useful once they start migrating.
If you want to look at the routes in more detail on Google Earth, this page contains instructions on setting up your PC to do this.
This blog contains some useful information about how the tracking works – we are now on a 3-day reporting period.
Is there a chance that the transmitter is faulty and she is indeed alive as you say it is just possible.
I find it very hard to believe that every tagged scottish juvenile with the exception of Rothimurchus have all died i am afraid, but until they are spotted we will never know. Obviously excluding this years juveniles which seem to be okay with the exception of Stan and Alba thus far
Unknown said: Is there a chance that the transmitter is faulty and she is indeed alive as you say it is just possible.
Have any ospreys been spotted carrying duff transmitters?
Tiger Signature
On those occasions when people have gone out to the spot where the transmitter was last recorded they have mostly found a body.
Examples like Joe, White 11 from Bassenthwaite, 9 (98) from Rutland, Pete the Finnish osprey, Moray from 2008.
In the case of Leri from Dyfi and Lucky 13 from Bassenthwaite nothing was found.
In the case of 12 from Bassenthwaite there evidence that the osprey had been there but neither the osprey or the transmitter was found.
Also quite a few bodies recovered in the USA.
Then there are examples where the bird dropped off the radar but did not come back as expected. Examples include Logie, Talisma, and Blue AW from Rutland.
Hazel b said: Is there a chance that the transmitter is faulty and she is indeed alive as you say it is just possible.
[/quote]apart from one of Roys probably not, but we will never spot every bird in the Uk. also we had Rothes who has apparently gone but we know her transmitter was faulty. we simply have no proof one way or the other
Unknown said:apart from one of Roys probably not, but we will never spot every bird in the Uk. also we had Rothes who has apparently gone but we know her transmitter was faulty. we simply have no proof one way or the other
Yes but Rothes' transmitter was working when she met her demise. She had scenario of the transmitter broadcasting from a stationary point which has always proved fatal. No osprey has ever survived the stationary signal scenario as far as I know.
There is one case of 49460 the Swedish osprey which was sighted in Sweden after the transmitter failed in France.
"49460's transmitter broke down in France. There is one interesting observation in late May from Sweden, when Nils Kjellén (former project co-worker) had a male Osprey with transmitter but no colour rings. 49460 is a male and, as far as I remember, is the only transmitter bird we have released without colour rings. The bird was seen fishing at Lake Krankesjön not far from Lund (east of the town)."
Back on 6th May 2011 Rob Bierregarrd reported the following
Another bit of exciting news is the recent sighting of a satellite tagged Osprey on Martha's Vineyard's south shore. It was on an nest pole (no nest) with another Osprey. It wasn't any of the birds we are currently following, so it has to be an old bird whose radio went dead. Our most likely candidate is Conomo, born in Lobsterville on the Vineyard back in '07. He came back in '09. We lost his signal over in CT sort of all of a sudden, with no further messages. We've got an APB out on him. If he starts showing up somewhere, we might be able to get a spotting scope on him and try to get a reading on his band.
I have never seen an update to this.
Interestingly Comono was carrying a transmitter which was being reused from an osprey which was shot in the Dominican Republic.
So they are spotted, hope springs eternal
Hazel b said: Yes but Rothes' transmitter was working when she met her demise. She had scenario of the transmitter broadcasting from a stationary point which has always proved fatal. No osprey has ever survived the stationary signal scenario as far as I know.
Tiger, a stationary signal is not necessarily a fatal sign; - did you see the blogs last summer about the white tailed eagle Mara?
Four years after tagging, the transmitter started giving a static signal. The team went out and recovered it and found the straps were frayed, which suggested it had fallen off. Later, Mara was seen alive and well with his mate.
The transmitter is found
Mara and mate
I agree we should be wary of thinking this is the explanation in every case.