As you can see from the map, Odeinat has made it back to the breeding grounds and has also been sighted by the Syrian rangers and wardens! After only intermittent signals from Salama we were slightly worried, but she has also made it back (updated locations shortly), although her route wont be as well documented. We now await any further news on whether the other birds seen in Ethiopia also came north to the breeding grounds. We do now believe that their characters (at least for one of them) are consistent with being 2007 offspring. Fingers crossed that they appear quite soon and boost the breeding population. There is still no sign so far of the released juveniles (Ishtar and Amina), and we are now pessimistic that they didnt survive, but the fact that they did reach wintering areas and integrated with the wild birds means that we are highly encouraged that this approach is well worth repeating and provides the best prospect for maintaining the wild population.
STOP PRESS: Confirmation that all 3 birds (Odeinat, Salama and Zenobia) have been seen by Desert Commission wardens and rangers at the Syrian breeding site. No news as yet of any additional birds.
PS in reply to Clarabel's question, Zenobia is also ringed (and had earlier been tagged in fact) which is how we can identify her (if seen well) in Ethiopia and now back in Syria