Last month we were thrilled that LS7, one of the eight juvenile ospreys that we translocated to Poole Harbour last summer, had been seen at Ile des Oiseaux in the Sine-Saloum Delta in Senegal. You can read more about the sighting here. The survival rate of juvenile ospreys in their first year is generally very low (only around 30% make it back to the UK as a two year-old) and so it was encouraging that LS7 had been seen at such a superb place for wintering ospreys.
Amazingly we now know that LS7 wasn’t the only Poole juvenile to be seen at the Sine-Saloum Delta in January. We have now been contacted by Jean-Louis Carlo to say that he photographed LS3 on New Year’s Day at Nema Bâ in the south of the delta. LS3 set-off from Poole Harbour two weeks after LS7, on 9th September but amazingly Jean-Louis’ sighting was just 21 km from the spot where LS7 was seen three weeks later! This really is fantastic news and proves that the two juveniles must have set-off from Poole in excellent condition; undoubtedly aided by the daily supply of fresh fish provided by the team at Poole before the juveniles departed. This is an essential requirement if a young osprey is to survive the perilous first migration to West Africa and then find somewhere safe to winter. As we explained in the recent blog about LS7, LS3 may not have lingered at the Sine-Salum Delta, but Jean-Louis’ sighting is an extremely encouraging sign. This incredible place will now be on the young osprey’s radar, and may well become his future wintering site.
LS3 at the Sine-Salum Delta on 1st January 2018 – photo by Jean-Louis Carlo
LS3’s ring is clearly visible in the photo
Both LS3 and LS7 are likely to remain in West Africa for the whole of 2018, but the fact that they have both been seen alive means that there is every chance that we may see them back in Dorset in spring 2019. Here’s hoping!
Very many thanks to Jean-Louis for this fantastic news.
You can check out the location of the sightings of LS3, LS7 and other colour-ringed ospreys from the UK on our interactive map.
LS3 and LS7 were seen just 21 km apart in the space of three weeks
