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.
SueC Alan and Jsb, fascinating thank you :)
Thanks once again SUE. Sounds very credible, that, that is what she was doing.
Caledonia s range mainly to the north of the city over the last few days:
Thank you for the updates and thoughts SUE, ALAN and JSB. It certainly makes sense.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
New blog
Caley's big trip of last week - the furthest points are about 40 miles from her base, on tributaries of the Rio Tinto which flows down to Huelva.
Thanks SueC. Would the floods maybe help her to find a less built up area but she was doing fine where she was. Probably will be told off as not good with google maps. Appreciate very much thank you.
I think she must be on fishing trips B&B, she is moving around an awful lot, but always coming back to her roost site at night. It should be getting lighter at night too.
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
The main thing Caledonia is doing so well and so happy for her :)
More about Water......
Update on the reservoirs in the Guadalquvir basin this week - here
The volume of water held is remaining steady at 93.46% of capacity.
On the chart, look at how the levels for 2013 to date (red line) compare with 2012 when there was a long drought (black line). I went on a birdwatching trip to Donana NP last April, and it was very dry.
The reservoirs on the Rivera de Huelva and tributaries (Gergal, Cala, La Minilla, Zufre and Aracena) are all still discharging excess water (this is what desembalse means).
This webpage - from a firm who offer cycle tours in the area - reveals that the Rivera de Huelva supplies Seville's water, which is taken from the reservoirs by an underground pipe which links them.
Newspaper article