An Easy Life
We’ve just updated the Google Earth tracking page. As you will see both AW and 09 are settled at their wintering sites in Guinea and Senegal. In fact the latest data really does demonstrate what an easy life adult Ospreys have in the winter. Both birds spend most of their time perched just inland, with one or two daily forays out to sea to fish. They usually catch within sight of land but on one notable occasion – on 19th November – AW was fishing six miles offshore. This reminded me of standing on the beach at Tanji in the The Gambia last winter and seeing numerous Ospreys fishing in the sea – and catching needle fish amongst others. Here’s a video we recorded that morning.
The migration facts
With 09 and AW both now settled on their wintering grounds, in Senegal and Guinea respectively, it has given us the opportunity to compare their flights to West Africa.
As you will know if you tracked their progress, the two birds followed a similar route as they flew south. Both birds crossed the English Channel at Dungeness and then flew south through central France, passing over Orleans and the Osprey nests situated close by.
As AW approached the Pyrenees he switched to a more south-westerly course to avoid the mountains, whereas 09 flew directly through the high peaks. Both birds then made good progress through Spain and, interestingly, we recorded the highest altitude for both birds on this section of their journey. 09 reached an altitude of 6112 feet as he migrated over Andalucia and AW flew south at an incredible 9055 feet just north of Madrid. Their flight paths then converged again in the south of Spain, with 09 crossing the Mediterranean at Tarifa and AW heading across the sea further east.
The migration routes of AW and 09
Once in Africa both birds skirted around the foreboding Atlas Mountains before following a remarkably similar route across the vast wilds of the Sahara. AW took just three days to cross the desert, with 09 taking a day longer. Each was clearly intent on crossing as quickly as possible; we recorded fastest speeds for both birds in Western Sahara – 29mph for AW and 50 mph for 09.
By the time he reached his wintering site on the Senegal coast 09 had covered 2972 miles from Rutland Water in 16 days – an average distance of 186 miles per day. AW flew further south to Guinea. He migrated 3277 miles in just 14 days - an average of 234 miles per days. Interestingly AW’s average speed was significantly slower than 09 – 15 mph compared to 29 mph – but by flying for longer each day, he completed his migration faster. The table below summarises the key facts of the two flights.
| AW | 09 | |
| Total distance flown | 3277 miles | 2972 miles |
| Duration | 14 days | 16 days |
| Average distance per day | 234 miles | 186 miles |
| Average speed | 15 mph | 27 mph |
| Fastest speed | 29 mph | 50 mph |
| Average altitude | 2431 feet | 1919 feet |
| Highest altitude | 9055 feet | 6112 feet |
Finally, here is Osprey fact of the day. 09 is thirteen years old and now we know where he has spent each winter since his first migration from Rutland Water in 1998. This means that in his lifetime he has migrated a staggering 75,000 miles. In other words he has flown round the world three times!
09 and AW settled in their winter routine
09 and AW may be wintering 600km apart – on the coastlines of northern Senegal and Guinea respectively - but their daily routines are very similar. The satellite data suggests that both birds are fishing in the sea twice a day; usually mid-morning and then again in the early evening. Of the two, AW generally heads further out to sea -sometimes more than three miles - whereas 09 hasn’t ventured more then a mile from the coast. Having watched Ospreys fishing in West Africa last winter, I imagine that it takes the birds very little time to catch their meal; probably just a matter of minutes. The remainder of their day is spent on their favourite perches. In AW’s case this is in mangroves 500m from the sea whilst 09 is usually perched among scattered trees just a couple of hundred metres from the breaking waves. All in all, being an adult Osprey at your established wintering site is a very easy life!
09's movements during the past ten days
AW's movements over the last ten days
If our experiences in West Africa are anything to go by, then the only other time that the birds will leave their perches, is to chase off other Ospreys. They will probably be fairly tolerant of the neighbouring adults birds – who they will recognise from previous winters – but less welcoming to newly arrived juveniles. We watched adults chasing juveniles numerous times last winter and this is one of the reasons that young birds wander about so much during their first winter in Africa. Here’s a video diary that we recorded in Gambia last winter. I suspect that the habitat at the winter homes of our two birds is very similar to that of Gunjur.
09 and AW settled at their winter homes
09′s latest data is in and it shows that, as we suspected, he has settled on the Senegal coast south of St Louis. So despite the fact that his territory in Rutland is just a few kilometres from AW’s, they are wintering 600km apart! Both birds have been making one or two short flights out to sea to fish each day before returning to their favourite perches just inland. Their routine is unlikely to change for the rest of the winter!
09 and AW's wintering sites in West Africa
I’ll provide a more comprehensive update of both birds’ recent movements next week, but in the meantime I’m off to run the Berlin marathon in order to raise money for our Gambia wildlife education project. Huge thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far – through your generosity I’ve raised almost £3000. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to contribute to what we at Rutland Water feel is a very worthwhile cause, please check out my online fundarising page.
Has 09 reached his winter home?
09′s latest data has come through this morning and it shows that he spent all of yesterday (Sunday) on the Senegal coast, midway between Dakar and St Louis. It looks like he has probably reached his winter home.
The previous batch of data had shown that 09 made a distinct shift south-west on 15th September (Thursday), a flight path that appeared to be taking him down towards St Louis in northern Senegal. He had now almost crossed the vast wilds of the Sahara, but seemed to be feeling the effects of the long and arduous flight. He covered just 180km on Thursday - significantly less than the previous few days. He roosted that night amid high rolling dunes.
Next morning 09 resumed his migration after 9am, initially heading just west of south. By 11am he had covered just under 30km and was flying south at 44kph, 110m above the spectacular dunes. Two hours later he was another 45km further on and now made a distinct turn to the south-west. During the course of the afternoon he flew another 130km at altitudes of around 500 metres. He settled to roost just before dark in the Reserve Forestiere de Berbeira – an area of scattered trees in the south of Mauritania. His day’s flight was just over 200km.
09 was now within striking distance of the Senegal coast and his first fish for several days. He clearly knew it as well because he had already covered 25km south-west by 7am next morning (Saturday). Two hours later he had stopped again, but he didn’t rest for long. He crossed the mighty Senegal River just after 11am and flew south west over Djoudj National Park. I know Djoudj well having visited there with John, Paul and Frederic Bacuez three times last winter. Whilst in Djoudj we identified several wintering Ospreys from Germany and also YU – a female who fledged from the Lake District nest in 2007. I wonder if 09 encountered any of them as he flew over the park? Djoudj is a reminder that it is not just Ospreys who are migrating south this autumn. The park is home to more than 3 million migrant birds each winter. The photos below taken by John at Djoudj show Ospreys with two of those visitors – Garganeys and a Montagu’s Harrier.
German Osprey with Garganeys at Djoudj
Osprey and Montagu's Harrier at Djoudj
09 continued south west and passed to the east of St Louis at 1pm. He was making excellent progress and at around 4pm he reached the coast 73km south of St Louis. He had flown 225km.
Singificantly, 09 then spent all of yesterday at the same place, spending the majority of the day perched in a wooded area 150m from the beach and making one foray out to sea at 2:30pm. There seems every chance therefore, that this is 09′s established wintering site. We should know for sure when the next batch of data comes in. If this is the place where he has spent the last thirteen winters, then myself John and Paul were unknowingly very close to him when we visited the north of Senegal in January. We were less than 30 miles up the coast when we visited Langue de Barbarie. The coastline at Barbarie must be very similar to 09′s spot and so here are a couple of photos to give you an idea of what the coastline there is like. You might also like to read about our trip to Senegal, by checking out the blog we wrote out there.
It’s going to be really interesting to see if 09 is at the same place when the next batch of data comes in.
Osprey at Barbarie, Northern Senegal
Langue de Barbarie
09's flight - 15-17 September
A change of direction for 09
Since arriving in Africa 09 had followed a very similar route to AW, but yesterday that all changed.
On Wednesday evening 09 roosted on the edge of a spectacular dune system – just the kind of place that you imagine when you think of the Sahara. He arrived there some time before 7pm having flown 486km through the desert. He had maintained a SSW course all day that was remarkably similar to that of AW. In fact 09′s roost site that night was just 68km south-west of where his compatriate from Rutland had roosted on 5th September – a fairly inconsequential distance when compared to the vastness of the Sahara.
09's route through the Sahara, 13th Sept - with AW's route and roost site on 5th Sept for comparison
Next morning 09 did not set off again until around 10am and an hour later had covered just 28km. Interestingly, he was now heading in a much more westerly course than previous days. Whether this was a conscious descision or the effect of a strong easterly wind remains to be seen, but by 5pm – the final location in this batch of data – he had covered 156km in a distinctly south-westerly heading. This suggests, that unlike AW, 09 is heading for the Senegal coast. With this in mind I e-mailed Frederic Bacuez – the French ornithologist myself John and Paul stayed with at his home near St Louis last winter – and asked him to keep an eye out for 09. You just never know!
09's flight through Mauritania showing his change of direction on 15th September (AW's route (right) also shown for comparison)
As ever, it will be really interesting to see where he is when the next batch of data comes in.
09 reaches central Mauritania
09′s latest batch of data is just starting to come through and a non-GPS position showed that he was in central Mauritania at 6:50am this morning. This means that by this evening he should have completed his crossing of the Sahara and reached Senegal.
The previous data had shown that 09 was 48km south west of Agadir and heading out into the desert at 9am on Monday morning (12th September). By 1pm he was another 125km further on, heading south-west at 68kph. This course took him over the speactaular ridge the runs across the northern edge of the Sahara, just before 3pm. The photos below show the ridge photographed from the plane as myself and the team from Rutland Water flew to West Africa last winter.
At 5pm 09 was circling more than 3000 feet above the desert, perhaps looking for somewhere to spend the night. He had covered 290km.
The next GPS data shows that at 11am next morning (Tuesday 13th) he was another 147km further south west, circling over the desert, presumably using thermals to gain height. By 3pm he had covered another 157km, following a remarkably similar route to AW. In fact 09 actually crossed the path taken by AW between 1pm and 3pm that afternoon.
09 and AW flying over the Sahara
We are still waiting for the remainder of the GPS data to come through and I’ll update the page once it does. In the meantime a single non GPS (but accurate) position showed that by this morning he had covered another 660km south-west across the desert, still following a similar course to AW. He had now covered at least 1250km since Monday morning.
09's latest position in the Sahara
Textbook migration to Agadir
Having been translocated to Rutland Water as a six-week old chick in 1998, this is 09′s thirteenth autumn migration and his experience is obvious as he flies south.
On Friday evening he roosted on a wooded hillside 8km south of Embalse de Guadalcacin in southern Spain and next morning was perched another 8km further south, just north of Embalase de Barbate, where the Spanish Osprey Project is based. The reservoirs in Andalucia provide superb fishing for Ospreys and although the data doesn’ t show it, 09 would have caught a fish either on Friday evening or Saturday morning.
09 in Andalucia, 9-10 Sept
09 resumed his migration some time after 8am because two hours later he was another 40km south, heading towars Tarifa and the Straits of Gibraltar. The position at 10am shows that 09 was heading powerfully south-east at 53kph. This course would have taken him over the Migres migration watchpoints at Tarifa and out across the sea towards Morocco. At this time of year he would have been joined by thousands of other migrating birds of prey, including Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles, Honey Buzzards and Black Kites. By crossing the Staits at Tarifa 09 had a flight of less than 20km across the sea before he reached Morocco.
View towrds Tarifa and Morocco
Migrating Black Kites and a Short-toed Eagle
Male Osprey migrating
It would have taken 09 no more than half an hour to cross the Straits, and once in Morocco he continued to make good progress all day. He maintained a remarkably direct south-westerly course, passing Rabat at 6pm at 50kph before finally settling to roost on a rocky hillside 25km south of of the city of Settat. He had covered 488km since leaving southern Spain that morning.
09's 488km flight, 10th September
Next morning (Sunday) 09 probably caught a fish in Barrage Al Massira, a reservoir located 20km south of his roost site, before continuing his migration just before 10am.
By 3pm he had covered 250km, maintaining a south-westerly course throughout. Like AW he intentionally avoided flying over the Atlas Mountains, choosing to skirt around their western edge instead. The map below shows just how similar their routes were.
09 (orange line) and AW avoiding the Atlas Mountains
Once clear of the mountains 09 flew due south until 7pm, when he settled to roost in an area of sparse vegetation about 40km south east of Agadir. He had flown 330km during the day.
Unlike previous roost sites, there was no water nearby meaning 09 will have to wait several days before his next meal.
09's 330km flight, 11th September
At 9am on Monday morning he had already set off again, heading south west at 37kph with the vast wilds of the Sahara ahead. I wonder where he will be when the next batch of data comes in?
Africa awaits for 09
At 6pm yesterday evening 09 was just 70km north of Tarifa. The weather in southern Spain today is sunny with a light southerly wind and so there is every chance that as I write 09 will be crossing the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco.
At 8am yesterday morning 09 was 20km south-west of his roost site, perhaps eating a fish. Two hours later he was flying again, heading south west at 56kph. By midday he had covered 100km and was now flying south-west at 1863m (over 5000 feet). He made steady progress south-west during the afternoon, flying another 150km over the course of six hours. At 6pm he was perched in a field of cork oaks after a day’s migration of 250km. He was within striking distance of several large reservoirs and so will have ample opportunity to catch a fish before continuing his journey.
09's position at 6pm, 9th September
It was interesting that 09 maintained such a south-westerly course during his day’s flight. Whereas AW made no real deviation through Spain and crossed the Mediterranean well east of Gibraltar, 09 has made a definite change of direction, possibly in order to cross the Straits of Gibraltar at the shortest point. Or has he? Numerous Ospreys from northern Europe now winter in southern Spain and so there is a possibility that he won’t go any further. It will be very interesting to see where he is when the next batch of data comes in. Here’s a comparison of 09 (red line) and AW’s (orange line) flights through Spain.
09 and AW flights through southern Spain
Two good days through Spain
On Tuesday evening (6th September) 09 caught a fish in a small lake close to the village of Astaffort is south west France. He then settled to roost in a wood a mile to the south after a day’s flight of 230km.
09 eating a fish beside the lake in SW France, 6th September
On Wednesday morning he set off before 8am and by midday he had flown 75km south towards the Pyrenees. At this point he would have been able to see the mountains on the horizon and he made a distinct shift further south-west, perhaps to avoid the highest peaks. Nonetheless his route through the mountains still took him past speactacular peaks rising to more than 2000m. He maintained a speed of around 35kph through the Pyrenees and was well clear of the mountains by 6pm when he was flying south west through northern Spain at 42kph.
09's flight through the Pyrenees
Conditions were obviously very good for migration because he covered another 150km after 6pm, before eventually settling to roost close to Laguna de Zaida in central Spain, 180 km north-east of Madrid. He had covered a toal of 403km; easily his best day’s migration of his journey south so far.
Next morning 09 left his roost site after 8am and two hours later he was 35km further on, flying south-west at 23kph at an altitude of 2500 feet. Once again conditions were obviously excellent for migration because at midday he was flying south west at 73kph – the fastest speed we have recorded for him so far.
09 continued on his south-westerly course for the rest of the day before eventually settling to roost on a wooded hillside over-looking Pantano de Guadalen, a large reservoir in the north-east of Andalucia. He had had another good day’s migration, covering 358km.
09's flight through Spain, 6-8th September
