The Flight of Osprey S8H in 2001

This was the oldest chick (a male) of a brood of three ringed on 16th July 2001. A new pair of ospreys built a new eyrie in a Scots pine and laid eggs in May - later than most of the population. Male identified as 4 years old but white colour ring not seen well enough to identify specific individual.

All three young still at nest site in south-east Sutherland on 2nd September.

A poor quality signal at 2203 on 7th September was 80 kms Eof the Aberdeenshire coast but the bird may have roosted on land that night; the journey on 8th September was 650 kms south-east over the North Sea to the German coast. This was the first Scottish juvenile to have been recorded in North Germany.

A depression crossed Scotland 4th/5th September, with rain and strong winds, being strong NW on 8th, so the young Osprey had a strong tail wind across the North Sea.

By 10/9 S8H was1100 kms SE of nest site. There was then a 5-week stop-over near Hannover before he began to move SSW in mid October. The position on 5/11 was an utterly desolate desert, many miles from any obvious water or habitation.

We received no further news of this bird's progress.