Beatrice set off on her autumn migration at 3 PM on 1 August after rearing another 2 young. The young are now being looked after by her mate. This is the eighth autumn that we have tracked her journey . On the first day she just made a short flight to the River Avon and roosted near a favourite haunt. She travelled up river next morning and at 9 o’clock was perched beside the river downstream from Tomintoul. At 1 PM she was flying over Mount Keen into Angus and roosted that night by the River Esk near Ferry bank. On 3rd August by 3 PM she was south of Forfar and roosted in a wood between Cuper and St Andrews in Fife. Next day she stayed there in poor weather and on 5th flew a little north-west to Bridge of Cally.
August 1st – 6th
In better weather on 6 August she flew south over Edinburgh and across the border at 5 PM near Kielder and flew on over the lake to reach Teesdale by 7 PM and then roosted in Northern England. On 7th August she flew on south, being near Bradford at 1 PM, Sutton Coldfield at 5 PM and Chipping Norton at 7 PM, where she roosted nearby in trees by a small river at Heythrop Park.
August 6th – 7th
On 8th August she flew on south and by 1 PM was just west of Winchester and two hours later was heading for Saint Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight to start her crossing of the English Channel. She flew on over the Normandy coast and roosted quite quickly in farmland trees near Columbieres.
August 8th – Channel crossing
On 9th August she flew south through France passing Cholet at 1800 GMT . Continuing south she reached the River Adour at midday on the 11th just south of Pontoux sur l’Adour and two hours later had flown east to her favourite stopover location on the River Adour.
August 9th – 11th
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