00 August 2009

Beatrice has been living on the River Avon, upstream from Ballindalloch during the early part of August. She has reared two young in the same nest as in 2008 and with the same mate. Her unusual behaviour of leaving her nest site and flying to fish on the River Avon is the same as in 2008.

09 August 2009

9th August. Beatrice roosted last night in trees beside the river Avon, below Delchirac, 1 mile upstream from Ballindalloch. By 9 am she was 2 miles up the river and at 11 am was perched on the river near Fodderletter. About midday she had set off on a perfect south-east migration round the Cairngorms, she had passed over Tomintoul and the Lecht, and at 1 pm was flying at 24km/h to the east of Gairnshiel Lodge. She passed over Ballater and the River Dee and then on over the hills past Mount Keen to come down to rest on the River North Esk, just 1 mile south west of Milden Lodge ( the land in Glen Esk where Alma was found dead). She was roosted beside the river overnight and her day's flight was 45 miles.

10 August 2009

10th August. She was a little east on the riverbank at 9 am, she presumably caught a fish because she was back at her overnight roost an hour later. At 1 pm she was 5 miles north-east of Dundee, flying at 42km/h ESE at 179 metres altitude. She crossed over the Tay estuary and Fife, and then the Firth of Forth to come ashore over Aberlady Bay, near the headquarters of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. At 3 pm she was flying near Pencaitland and at 5 pm had crossed the Scottish border and was flying S at 72km/h high over Kielder Forest (where a pair of ospreys bred successfully for the first time this summer). By 7 pm she was perched in trees in a wooded valley beside a little river, 1.5 miles south-east of Hexham. Her day's flight was 142 miles.

11 August 2009

11th August. She stayed and probably fished in the little river at Fellside, because she was still there at 9 am. At 10 am she was flying south-east at 50km/h near Slaley Hall, and then flew over Derwent Reservoir. At 11 am she was flying at 51km/h near Hedley Hall, west of Durham and an hour later had risen to 705 metres altitude near Bishop Auckland. At 1 pm she was flying at 55km/h just south of Teeside airport and an hour later was flying south at the same speed over Thirsk. At 3 pm she was 8 miles north of York flying SSE at 63km/h, and an hour later had crossed the Humber and was flying over Goole Moors heading SSE. At 6 pm she was flying SSW at 47km/h near Gringley-on-the-Hill, and by 7 pm she had settled for the night just south of the village of Grove, 2.5 miles east of Retford. Before dark she moved closer to the village to roost in a strip of trees. Her day's flight was 129 miles.

12 August 2009

She stayed at roost site until at least 10 am, it was grey and raining. An hour later she was over Besthorpe flying south-east at 42km/h. At midday she was just east of Newark and at 1 pm was just south-east of Grantham, and then turned south towards Rutland Water. At 2 pm she was flying at 49km/h south over Greetham golf course towards Rutland Water, and then clearly spent time flying around the reservoir because an hour later she was just south over Uppingham and at 4 pm was flying across Eyebrook reservoir. She then set off SSE over Corby and at 5 pm was flying at 51km/h over Geddington at 488 metres and an hour later was perched (probbaly eating a fish) beside a small lake (gravel pits) just north of Rushden, which she left just before 7 pm and flew 3 miles south to spend the night in parkland trees very close to Hinwick House, just south of Poddington in Bedfordshire. The weather tomorrow is again grey and overcast with patchy rain and light breezes.

13 August 2009

She was still at her roost at 8am, but by 9am she was well under way flying SW over Newton Blossomville at 32km/h at 94 metres altitude; and hour later she was flying south at 65Km/h at 497 metres well above the north of Leighton Buzzard. Her track took her close to Woburn where she roosted overnight on 17th/18th August 2008. Still waiting for the next locations, but at 4 pm she was over woods just north of Emsworth in SE Hampshire, flying north. At 5pm she had settled to roost for the night in big trees in the forest just east of Rowlands Castle. A days journey of about 100 miles.

14 August 2009

14th August. First signals this morning showed that she was still at her roost in the forest at 8am, but by 9am had flown 4 miles to the top end of Chichester Harbour at Prinsted, and was flying east low over the water so she was probably fishing for grey mullet or flounders. The weather forecast gave a foggy morning and a cloudy afternoon, with a SW wind of 13mph. May be she will have a stop-over on the estuary.

Well I go that wrong! At 10am she was further south down the estuary, then crossed Thorney Island and perched in the west channel at 11am. She then flew over Hayling Island, Langstone Harbour and then high over the west side of Portsmouth she headed for the Isle of Wight. At 1pm she was just east of Newport flying SSW at 38km/h and it looked as though she set off across the English Channel from St Catherine's Point before 2pm. (A great migration watch point where I spent many happy days birdwatching as a boy. The westerly wind and occasional showers drifted her a little to the east and she missed the Cherbourg Penisula, being some miles to the east at 3pm. She flew in over Omaha Beach on the Normandy coast of France and was a couple of miles inland heading SSE at 37km/h at 190 metres at 4pm. The direct flight from St Catherine's Point to Cherbourg is 60 miles, but the wind drift caused her to fly 90 miles. The weather in North France is great - bright clear sunny skies and a light breeze. She is on her way.

At 5pm GMT (times from here on are GMT) she was flying SE at 37km/h east of Saint-Lo and roosted the night (may be after fishing) along a little river just upstream fom Pont-Farcy.

15 August 2009

Beatrice was along the river until at least 9am, and an hour later was migrating south at 57km/h to the west of Vire. She steadily flew southwards and at 1pm was SE of Gorron. At 3pm she was just past Chateau-Goutier flying SE at 49km/h and at 4pm was 1389 metres above Angers and turned SE towards the River Loire. At 5pm, she was perched in woods just south of the Loire near Blaison-Golier; she then moved small distances south to roost overnight in woodland just NE of Coutres.

16 August 2009

16th August 2009. At dawn she was a little further south in a wood, then at 8am was flying north to the River Loire (presumably to fish) as by 9am she was back in the bigger wood where she rested last evening. At 10am she was 13 kms to the south starting the day's migration. At midday, she was just east of Bosme flying S at 1114 metres altitude. Then she had two hourly fixes flying south at 65 km/h, passing Niort just before 2pm. She continued flying steadily south over the farmed lands of Poitou-Charentes and at 3pm was at 1226 metres altitude. An hour later she was much lower west of Mesnac, and then passed to theeast of Cognac to come down to roost overnight in small wooded river valley at Lachaise, 19 kilometres SSE of Cognac. Her day's journey was 207 kilometre.

17 August 2009

17th August. She stayed at the roost site until 9am, and then an hour later was 18 kms to the SSW, flying at 34km/h at the start of another day's migration. At midday, she had veered SSW towards the River Gironde and after midday she crossed the river at the confluence, from Bayon-sur-Gironde to Macau. At 2pm she was flying at 48km/h at Blanquefort and then over flew the western suburbs of Bordeaux. She then kept up a steady southward migration being over Saint-Magne at 4pm and east of Pissos at 5pm; she was still flying south at 54km/h over Tartas at 6pm and by 7pm she was perched on a tree on the edge of L'Adour. Later she moved into woodlands surrounded by the river, SW of Gouts. This was where she stopped over last autumn and this spring, and is clearly a favourite stopping off place for Beatrice. I wonder how long she will stay this time. Last autumn she was there from 25th to 29th August, and this spring from 11th to 29th March.

18 August 2009

Beatrice on the River Adour all day - following previous routines and visiting best fishing sites down river.

23 August 2009

Beatrice remains at L'Adour

30 August 2009

On her 14th day on the Adour river, Beatrice re-started her migration. At 6 and 7am GMT she was perched on the side of the north loop of the river,and then at 8am and 9am was perched in trees, probably feeding, just south of the south loop. At 10am, she was 9 kilometres to the SW and two hours later was 60 kilometres south heading for the Pyrennes just south of Irissarry, flying SSE at 62 km/h at 518 metres. She appeared to go through the pass over the mountains to the east of Pic d'Adarca and west of Monte Urcula, to enter Spain at Luzarde. At 1pm, she just south of Awitz on the south side of the mountains. Last autumn, she crossed the Pyrennes on 29th August at 2pm, and passed through the main col just to the west. She then set off SSW, passing to the east of Pamplona, and at 5pm was flying SW at 66km/h at 1512 metres over the Sierra del Almuerzo. After a day flight of 273 kilometres she roosted for the night on a forested hill west of Tardajos de Duero.

31 August 2009

At 9am, Beatrice was a few miles down the journey, flying SW at 1120 metres, she flew on over the Soria forests. At 11am was over Velamazan, and then made an unusual gogleg in her route; she flew west for 16 kilometres, then south all rather slowly with apparently much soaring, and then east and by 2pm was 1899 metres above La Riba de Escalote. She then turned south and at 4 pm flew over the big reservoir at El Atance. At 5pm she was flying south over the valley east of Baides, and soon landed for the night to roost in scrubby woodland on the mountains SE of Baides. Her day's flight was 110 kilometres and she is now 100 kilometres NE of Madrid.

01 September 2009

At 8am Beatrice was perched in a field south of the hill, so may have been eating a fish, then at 9am was back migrating over Mandayona heading south. At 10am, she was flying SW at 48km/h at 1715 metres to the east of the NE Motorway. At 1pm she was approaching the north-eastern suburbs of Madrid, flying SW at 55km/h at 1472 metres (ground height 717 metres) over Villabilla; she then turned south to avoid Madrid and two hours later was flying SSE over Aranjuez and had dropped to just 63 metres above the land. She continued south and just after 6pm reached a roosting site in olive groves near a small river. Her days flight was 201 kilometres.

02 September 2009

At 6 and 7am, she was perched at the end of a small wood in agricultural fields a little south of her last night's roost, then she moved a bit more south and was perched at 8am. An hour later she had started migrating and then turned south, she was flying SSE at 49km/h at 1688 metres altitude, so had gained height and set off to the South. At 11am, she was flying south west at 35km/h over Malagon. By which time she had covered 45 kilometres. At midday she was over Ciudad Real and an hour later near Puertollano flying SW at 46 km/h and heading over the Sierra Morena. At 6pm she was perched in an olive grove east of the River Guadlquivir 5 kilometres west of Montoro; may be she was aeting a fish. An hour later she was in trees on the east side of the river and then she roosted on the west side. The day's flighht was 180 kilometres.

03 September 2009

At 9am, Beatrice has set off and was about 8 kilometres to the SW, flying SW at 52 km/h. She flew on over the farmed lands in hot sunny skies with a very light north wind. At midday, she was heading straight for the distinctive mountain at Estepa, still heading SW at 38 km/h. At ipm she was travelling at 61km/h and an hour later was soaring at 1667 metres over Cuevas del Becerra - heading over the mountains north of Malaga. Her previous wintering site on the Guadiaro river is now only 62 kilometres further on and she should be there by 4pm. I wonder if she's going to spend her winter there or will she go further and on into Africa. I'd guess the former.

Later: Beatrice arrived by 4pm, when she was on the hill south of her favourite night time roosts by the orange groves, and an hour later was perched downstream beside the Guadiaro river at a favourite fishing place. She arrived two days later than in autumn 2008.

04 September 2009

Beatrice roosted last night in tall trees by the upper river and then spent much of today lower down the river, in favourite haunts used last winter.

27 September 2009

Beatrice has remained at wintering site on River Guadiaro