Mallachie has moved on yet again. She stayed near Tinosillos overnight on 7th September but next day, after having what appears to have been a long-lie, awaiting the heat of the day I suspect to aid her passage, she set off at 9am on a south westerly bearing towards San Vicente de Arevalo. The thermals giving her lift up to between 800-1000m.
From these altitudes, Mallachie can presumably spot likely places to divert to, to stop and fish because by late morning, she had made good ground and at 11am had dropped in height to a lake or reservoir complex, east of Mirvena de los Infanzones. A quick bite to eat perhaps (?), within the hour before the next fix, because at noon she was on her way again near to Piedrahito. At 1pm she had located another lake near Quebrada de Serradilla and then by 2pm she was at the famous Parque Nacional de Monfrague, a place I have visited several times - a simply wonderful place for raptors, though when I have visited, I've never seen osprey there! There is some good fishing for her there though, but she didn't stay long before heading along a river close to the border between Spain and Portugal in Parque Naturel do Tejo Internacional. She's not hanging about, is she eh? Unlike Rothes, who, yes you guessed it, is still holed-up in La Gironde north of Bordeaux. Is she going to over-winter there perhaps? Or could it be that her unusually very early departure from us here at Loch Garten, has taken it's toll on her and she just needs a lot of time to recuperate.
I've now checked on the data regime, and we should continue to get hourly fixes, which we will strive to up-date you on, on a daily basis, until 1st November when the regime changes to twice daily fixes and a weekly download. This change is in anticipation of the wintering grounds having been reached by then, but I'm not sure that will apply to Rothes though, the slouch.
My colleague Alice will be taking over up-dating you for a while, starting tomorrow, as I head away for a wee break next week. During the autumn winter, as well as keeping you informed of the osprey's whereabouts, we hope to broaden the blog a little and tell you about some of the wider work taking place here at Abernethy. Readers last year will recall us doing this, but we hope to expand on that further this year, with news of our habitat management work progress, willdife sightings and anything else newsworthy. Anyway, more on that anon. Meantime over to Alice for a while.
THIS IS MALLACHIE'S PAGE AND IS NOT THE PAGE TO COMMENT ON RICHARD'S LATEST BLOG.
Yes Alan, this could send an crowd of bird-spotters after Rothes! So far she has outwitted them! Assuming that there were some of them trying.
No, this is Richard's post! Sorry it's confusing. We're pretty confused too.
How weird ... every time I refresh, this page appears different ... comments appear & disappear ... as Katie says everyone's confused :)) Never mind .. at least it seems accessible by the normal route now ... and the girls are fine!
KATE , My comment was posted to Mallachie's page where there were replies being forwarded from Richard's latest blog. ( please delete from this page as I don't know how it ended up here) Very confused!!!
Katie, earlier today I couldn't get into the site at all, so a bit of confusion is no problem! (I'm easily confused at the best of times - probably the advancing years!) Glad Mallachie's doing well.
I still cannot get onto the site however this is where the reply to Richard's blog has taken me!!! Thanks for the report Richard! She is certainly moving! Have a lovely break!
Thanks Katie
Thank you as well Richard for the update and thanks so much for looking to do a daily one as long as the info keeps coming in. I look forward to hearing more about what goes on up there:)
Mallichie is going so well and as for Rothes, well, I don't know what to say apart from she may think she has found the best spot in the world.
Have a great week and look forward to Alice stepping in:)
Wow Mallachie is sure getting along she must have caught the thermals just right .... go Mallachie go ..... but safe and wise
I posted this on Mallachie's Blog earlier on today, so I am just moving it onto here now
Just remember to go South Mallachie and not too far WEST please we don't want you going into the Atlantic off Portugal. Please be safe and steady Mallachie and think before you fly!!!!
Thanks for the update again Richard and we all hope that you have a great break...you certainly deserve it. I am sure that Alice will do a good job for you while you are gone.
Thanks Richard. Hope you enjoy your break. Mallachie is doing so well. You could be so right about Rothes.
Hope I haven't confused everybody even further with my above message. I was trying to help and point out that the posts were on Mallachies page and then my message is posted here!!! SORRY.
Xalbai (Didier Domec) has posted another 2 photos of Mallachie :
www.rspb.org.uk/.../4615.aspx
Alan- Thank you. Yet more lovely photographs of Mallachie. Even show the two feathers that stick out where the back pack is fitted.
Thanks Richard, Have a great hol. Is it a birdwatching one, in warm climes, ??
Didier has certainly given us a great bonus as we got to see her on her migration and thanks Alan for the link. . Suzyblu I echo your comments and hope that Mallachie will choose the safer route. If only she knew how much we are thinking of her and of course Rothes, I suppose she will move when she is ready.