Summering again in Badenoch & Strathspey

Cromarty was first seen and photographed this summer on the 8th May at the Aviemore fish pond. He has subsequently been seen at various sites including intruding at the RSPB Loch Garten osprey nest on 19th and 20th May. Unfortunately the GSM transmitter, which he is still carrying, failed to operate past June 2016.

Stayed the summer in Badenoch & Strathspey

Cromarty was photographed at the Aviemore fishing site until after mid August but the transmitter is not working

Cromarty at Aviemore today

Just heard that Cromarty (PP7) was photographed this morning at Aviemore lochan this morning (27th June) so he made it back successfully. Sadly there was no news of his journey from the 13th, when he was heading for Cambridge, because the GSM transmitter malfuntioned again. Really disappointing – hope it bursts back into life and sends all the missing data.

No news

No signals received but I think this is due to the really heavy rain making Cromarty stop his migration, possibly in a place with no mobile coverage, and the lack of sun will mean the battery is low.

Cromarty heading for Cambridge 11.30am

Cromarty reached the English coast at Saltdean in Sussex at 8.45pm last evening. He turned NNW and by 9pm was roosting in woods just north-west of Falmer. This morning he started migrating just after 7am and flew over Crawley at 8.47am. At 10.08am he flew over the River Thames to pass over Canary Wharf, heading north he flew over the Walthamstow reservoirs at 10.27am, and then on up the Lee Valley. The last signal of this batch was at 11.29am when he was flying N at Puckeridge and appears to be heading for Cambridge. He is dodging rainy patches and light west winds, so his NNW heading is taking him up the east side of England, which is unusual for migrating Scottish ospreys in spring.  Lee Evans tweeted me last night suggesting this is a late migration. It’s an OK time for 2nd year ospreys, and even the occasional first year bird, but is late for a third year, and too late for him to breed this year.

June 13th - 14th

June 13th – 14th

Crossing English Channel

Cromarty reached north coast of France at 1307GMT and turned NW to the Cherbourg peninsula. He left the NE corner of Cherbourg at 1637GMT and tracked NE across the channel with a westerly wind. At 8.11pm he was heading for the Sussex coast and should come ashore between Brighton and Newhaven just after 9pm this evening.

June 13th

June 13th

Cromarty heading for the English Channel

After a 9 day stay on the Ribadeo esturay in Galicia, Cromarty crossed the Bay of Biscay on 10th June. He departed at 0915 GMT on a ENE heading and made a textbook crossing of the ocean arriving at the Ile de Re at 1935GMT. His initial altitude over the sea was over 900 metres but much of the flight was 100 – 300 metres abve the waves. Once he reached the French mainland he stopped in several places before roosting the night on a big farm just east of Longeville-sur-Mer. His day’s flight was 560km.  On 11th June he had a more leisurely northerly migration up through Fance, passing over the River Loire after midday and then stopping at a forest with lakes at 2.45pm local time. His day trip was 175km. This morning he was still there at 0840GMT. It is 220 km to the tip of Cherbourg – the weather is good with light west winds so there is a possibility he could cross the Channel to England later today.

June 10th - 11th

June 10th – 11th

Staying on North Spanish coast

Cromarty has remained on the Ribadeo estuary for four days, spending most of his time in woodland on the eastern shore. The weather is clear but there is a fresh easterly wind which is not good for crossing the Bay of Biscay.

June 1st - 4th

June 1st – 4th

lingering on North Coast of Spain

Yesterday Cromarty flew on west and by evening had reached the estuary of the River Ribadeo, where it roosted overnight and was still present this morning.

June 1st - 2nd

June 1st – 2nd

Reaches coast of Bay of Biscay

On 30th Cromarty flew steadily NNW from Madrid, passing Iscar at midday and east of Valladolid at 1400GMT. He roosted the night beside a dehesa lake just north of Calzadilla de la Cueza after 250 km flight. Today he was on his way NNW at 0755 and flew over the Cantabrian Mountains to Villaviciosa and surprisingly turned west instead of east. He flew over Gijon and then wandered aound the Cabo de Penas headlands and instead of heading out over the Bay of Biscay he turned inland and stayed tonight near Cabrera.  The weather tomorrow is sunny with a 16mph easterly wind. If he continues in a NNW direction he will be heading out into the Atlantic Ocean but fortunately further north the winds over the sea are westerly.

May 30th - 31st

May 30th – 31st