Cromarty roosted in wooded hills 10 km NNE of Cordoba on night of 28th/29th May. Heading north by 0720GMT on 29th and passed Almaden by 11am and that evening roosted beside the River Alberche, just north of Calalberche. Today he left there at 0527 and probably went fishing before tracking north over las Picadas reservoir. At last signal of the day he was flying north about 50 km west of Madrid.
May 29th – 30th
On 27th May Cromarty flew 360 km north through Morocco; passing Casablanca at 0955GMT and Rabat at 12.03. at 14.46 he was north of Kenitra over the coast and then headed ENE inland to roost the night in wooded hills. This morning he was probably fishing on a river just north of roost site in early morning and then headed north at 07.42. He left Africa from above Tangier at 11.42GMT, flying north at over 90 kph at an altitude of 655 metres above the sea. He completed the crossing to north of Tarifa in Spain in 29 minutes at a speed of 70kph. Flying on north he crossed over Barbate reservoir, well known to me when we moved young Scottish ospreys to the reintroduction project at Barbate, and the last signal of the day was north of Alcala de los Gazules. He is heading home through Europe.
May 27th – 28th
Cromarty roosted last night in a river valley 90 km west of Marrakesh. Today he started north at 0900GMT and reached the Atlantic coast at 12.28 and flew up the coast to Sidi El Abed at 15.16 when he flew inland eastwards for 60km before roosting.
may 25th – 26th
On 21st Cromarty turned north before roosting just south of Atar in the Sahara. On 22nd May, he headed NNE just before 0900GMT and by 17.35 had reached the huge Fderik mine and flew round the eastern flank to Zouerit. He then headed NE to roost in the desert after 306 km. He was thermalling during the day reaching maximum height of 2630 metres at 17.19. On 23rd he migrated strongly north using the thermals over the desert, completing 34 thermals and glides during the day The last at 18.28 saw Cromarty reach 2101 metres and then glide 40 km to a roost site in the desert just south of Morocco border after 350 km. Yesterday he flew strongly north, crossed the Mauritania/Morocco border at 1339GMT and headed on north using thermals and glides, then at 1900 hrs he was headed north over the Draa valley; where he was traveling north at 80kph at an altitude of 3500 metres above the desert. He completed a high level high speed evening flight to roost NWof Taghjijt after a day flight of 435 km. Today he was migrating north before 0900GMT, at 10.40 he was 28 km east of Tiznit and the last signal at 1113GMT saw him flying strongly north.
May 20th – 24th
Yesterday, Cromarty flew 72 km north up the coast, then turned inland before 10km south. He then turned east towards the Mauritanian deserts and by nightfall had flown 84km. This morning he continued to the east – I hope he changes direction to NNE soon.
May 20th – 21st
He spent last night at a roost 9 km inland then this morning flew to the coast. From 09.27 to 09.47 he was fishing over the Atlantic and then ashore on the coast to the last signal of the day at 10.59GMT
Comarty funked the direct Saharan crossing and turned west towards the coast. Last night he roosted 10km from the coast and this morning he flew west and then north up the Atlantic Ocean coast. At 12.30GMT he flew over the coastal fishmarket of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. His flight was leisurely at 24kph and an altitude of 5o metres, and by late afternoon he turned inland to roost south of Jreida. This is going to be a long migraton unless he hurries up.
May 18th
Cromarty crossed the River Senegal into Mauritania at 16.13GMT yesterday and then flew another 40 km north-east over Mauriania before settling to roost
May 15th
On night of 13th/14th May Cromarty roosted inland of Kayar and then wandered on up the coast and at 14.46 headed north-east inland and roosted that night in semi-desert near Tiambene. This morning he turned again to the west and flew north just east of St Louis. He flew north up the coast and then headed into the Djoud National Park. At the last signal of this batch at 15.01 he was flying north over the park towards Mauritania. If he flew on north he could have started his Sahara crossing by dusk so there may be no more signals until he reaches mobile phone coverage north of the deserts
May 14th and 15th
Cromarty flew leisurely up the Senegal coast today after roosting overnight inland near Yenne Tode. At 11.40am he crossed the eastern suburbs of Dakar to the Atlantic and flew on up the coast before heading NE inland at 13.30 and roosted for the night south of Diender
My 12th & 13th
