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I've just checked the satellite for the second time today, and so far (as of 3pm) it's not given me any new data. I'm working on the assumption that Nethy is still sunning herself on the banks of Lac de Guiers.

Unfortunately, I'm probably not going to be able to check again today as I'm heading to our Warden's leaving do (though he's not really leaving, just going on secondment to Northern Ireland, so we're expecting him back in a year) and I've a few things to do before I head off for that.

So I will definately update the map and blog on Monday (though I'm on a course all day so it might be after 5pm before I get the time). In the meantime I hope you can all contain your impatience until then.

Have a nice weekend,

Alice

Sorry for no update for a while, but we have been away. However, I can now report that the latest data shows that Nethy is still at Lac de Guiers, doing fine and dandy at what is looking increasing likely to be her wintering spot, for now at least. It sounds like a good place she has chosen.

The Lac de Guiers is south of the city of Richard-Toll in northern Senegal. It is a chief source of fresh water for the capital city, Dakar. It is supplied by the Bounoum River and it is a big lake, about 35 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide, and 17,000 hectares in extent, so at that size, it will surely have other ospreys there too, giving Nethy chance to be on the lookout for a future suitor, perhaps.

Previously Lac de Guiers was called Lac du Panier Foule or Pania Fuli, referring to the Peulh people. It is designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International; the key species are Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, African Spoonbill Platalea alba, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus and River Prinia Prinia fluviatilis. It sounds wonderful, not surprising Nethy seems intent on staying here a while.

Meanwhile, Alice and I were away for part of last week, but alas not over in Senegal checking on Nethy, but at the RSPB Scottish Staff Conference. Here we had the opportunity to up-date our colleagues on the success of the satellite tracking project, not just what we have learned and are still learning about the migration movements and timings etc, but about the extent to which you all out there, our 'virtual audience' have engaged with us and the project.

Colleagues were impressed with some figures we were able to give them on the avid readership following and the loyal support you have been to this work. The blog has attracted 360,000 visits (equivalent to 60,000 visitors), and the tracking pages have attracted 154,000 visits (equivalent to 37,800 visitors) - just since it went live in mid-July, which is more than the figure for actual visitors to the Osprey Centre this past summer. Which is all fantastic, and much appreciated.

However what I think delighted them most was how many of you have shown your further support for this project and RSPB's work in general, by signing the Bird of Prey pledge and joining the RSPB. In all so far, over 1,100 of you have signed the pledge and 66 of you have joined the RSPB. This too is brilliant, thanks.

However, and I'm guessing you'll know what's coming next (again!), it would be all the more marvellous, if those of you who haven't as yet done either of these two things, would consider doing so. There is a fresh skiff of snow outside today and it is all looking very festive. Which brings Christmas to mind, and prompts me to make a suggestion.

If you are stuck for ideas for friends and family, why not consider RSPB membership as a Christmas gift, or indeed Wildlife Explorer membership for those sons, daughters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren? It will last all year, likely longer than some presents might do, and just might serve as a springboard for what could become a newfound, life-long interest, care and passion for birds and wildlife. Please give it a thought, and if you do, please remember to use the code PR08 (that's zero 8). Thank you.

Similarly, as you gather with family and friends over the Christmas period, but are not inspired by the festive fare on telly – likely to be yet another re-run of El Cid or The Great Escape, why not log-on and sign the Birds of Prey pledge as an alternative family activity to the annual game of Cluedo or Kerplunk! Only joking :-) Though it wouldn't take a minute, would it?

Meanwhile back here at the reserve, there are still some waxwings around - a colleague saw a flock of 23 last week, and the geese flighting-in to roost on Loch Garten now number 600. However, the most astonishing recent sighting was a wildcat in my garden on Saturday night! There we were dining with friends when it strolled across the lawn, under spotlights. A real wildlife moment if ever there was one.

That's all for now. Alice will up-date you next, hopefully on Friday.

Richard Thaxton

Loch Garten site manager.

Forgot to mention, 6 Long-tailed tits on one garden feeder all at the same time.  Never seen one on a feeder before let alone six! 

 

Well the data has come through for this week (at least up until 9am this morning) and I'm pleased to report that all's well with Nethy, still at Lac de Guiers. So it's so far so good. We can only assume that she has now fully replenished her resources used to fuel her migration and currently continues to bask in the warm African sun.

Meanwhile up here at Abernethy, it's been unbelievably mild for the time of year, 11 degrees C (not sure of the farenheit conversion, sorry) outside my house this morning (as opposed to the 8 degrees inside).

On the bird front, yet more waxwings have been seen here and reported from all over the country - could this be a waxwing invasion year?

That's all for now,

Alice

I just checked the satellite data on the off chance a few more points had come through since on Friday, when I checked, the data had some gaps (in that the 1st - 3rd of November were missing) and I'm pleased to report that those points have come through, but also the two points for Friday (7th) and so the map is now updated to then. I'm not now expecting any new data until Friday, but you never know.

Nethy didn't do anything dramatic on Friday and remains by Lac de Guiers. I'm sure she's not the only osprey in that area, unfortunately she's the only one with a satellite tag on and so I can't say anything for certain. If anyone is heading out that way for a winter break, perhaps you can let us know - I'd go myself but winter is a busy time for habitat management work here at Abernethy!

Speaking of Abernethy, I'm sure you'd all like to hear how the goose roost watch went yesterday afternoon. Well, if you couldn't make it, you didn't miss a great deal. Unfortunately the weather wasn't brilliant, being a bit blowy, rainy (almost sleeting but not quite) and pretty cold.

Bird highlights were the gulls, though we did hear some geese and wigeon towards the end. Some geese definitely flew in, but they snuck quietly in at the other end of the loch and didn't start to call until they had landed (that's my impression anyway - it was pretty dark and hard to see!). But that's nature for you! It was however nice to meet a couple of bloggers and the tea and coffee was well recieved!

That's all till next time,

Alice

I've just uploaded the first lot of weekly data onto the map. The readings are taken at 9am and 5pm, and it looks like this data might become available for uploading on a Friday - though I will be checking the data sooner than next Friday until I'm certain that's the case - no point getting data that's older than necessary.

Nethy is still by Lac de Guiers, finding the fish fairly plentiful no doubt. She's been moving inland and back to the lake on a daily basis according to the data points. There's no sign of her heading out of the area she's made her home for the last few weeks.

Meanwhile back here at Abernethy, we've another Goose Roost Watch this Sunday (9th October oops, I meant November). If you're in the area wrap up warm and come along from 4pm, meeting at the Loch Garten carpark. No guarantees we'll see as much as last weekend, possibly there will be a bit more cloud, and so planets might be a bit thin on the ground, but even so it'll be well worth coming along to. Hopefully see some of you there.

That's all until next time,

Alice

There's not much to report really on Nethy's whereabouts & activities.  She is still in the area of Lac de Guiers, as she has been now for over two weeks or so.  She must be loving it there. The data is only current up to 10pm on Halloween, so how and where Nethy spent her warm weekend, we can't be sure.

The weekend here however, was frosty, crisp and sunny - beautiful in fact.  The Goose roost-watch event at Loch Garten went very well. It was an absolutely perfect late afternoon/evening and over thirty people joined Alice and I on the shore of Loch Garten on Sunday between 4pm and 5.30pm to witness the spectacle of a variety of birds flying in to the loch to seek a quiet, undisturbed refuge for the night.

On arrival, we saw the sun set at the end of what had been a gorgeous day, and the period between then and dusk was just magical.  About 100 greylag geese were already there when we arrived along with 150 wigeon, 60 teal, three whooper swans, goldeneye, goosander and mallard. They were then joined by an arriving flock of assorted gulls including, common, herring, black-headed and greater black-backed gulls too, all alighting on a glassy calm loch surface against the backdrop afterglow. Then the main attraction arrived by way of a finale at 5.15pm with the arrival of between 400-500 greylags flighting in, under a clear starry night sky, whiffling down on to the water in a clamour of honking calls.  In total, there must have been in excess of a thousand birds. But birds apart, it was just a perfect evening for the event, added to which we saw four planets - Jupiter, Venus, the moon, and of course the earth beneath our feet.

Several of you osprey tracking blog readers came along to the event and it was nice that you did and it was good to meet you.

Arguably one of our most stunning winter visiting birds arrived in the Strath at the weekend too - waxwings, an eagerly awaited bird by birdwatchers. A small flock of 10 were seen in Tulloch on Sunday afternoon. They are simply stunning birds that have everything, a real mix of features. This starling-sized bird has an pinky-grey plumage but with a black face mask and bib, a crest, yellow tail-tip, chestnut under-tail and then the red, yellow and white wax-like blobs on the wing that give the bird it's name.  Their call is unusual too, sounding like a 1970's trim-phone - if you're old enough to remember those!  They are principally berry-eaters, coming here from Scandinavia and Russia once food there is depleted, to feed on cotoneaster, juniper and other fruits, meaning that they can appear in people's gardens and can be quite confiding, so it is worth watching for them.

Interestingly, I have a contact who works on the Armada oil & gas installation out in the North Sea, located half way between Scotland and Norway and he e-mailed me to say that he saw waxwings on the rig recently, possibly the same ones, who knows?  They had stopped there for a breather mid-way across the North Sea, a bit like the osprey that was there recently too.

Richard