Fearna left her main wintering place on 5t March and flew west and roosted that night in Mauritania, next day she flew SW to wetlands east of St Loui. On 7th she flew to the Atlantic coast south of St Louis in the laet afternoon and then fle back east to roost. On 8th she set off NE crossing over Lac d’Guiers and by 1500GMT she was south of Rochard Toll flying NE at 65kph at an altitiude of 1543 metres. By 1800hrs she was back at her wintering site after a journey of at least 470 km.  Another interesting exploratory flight – are they being pushed to explore because fishing or competion is getting difficult, or is it experience gaining when conditions are good.

Round trip – 5th to 8th March

Fearna remains living in her main wintering site south of the Senegal River

Fearna left the temporary area on 10th February and flew north into Mauritania and then easterly to roost overnight near a ‘dry?’ river system, next day she flew west on a circuit before arriving back in her original wintering area in Senegal

February 5th to 15th

After a long period in one area, Fearna flew west on afternoon of 26th January and next day flew south over Richard Toll and south over Lac d’Guiers and settled in semi-desert that night near Fiddich’s old haunts. Next day, she flew on south and at 1400 GMT was just north of Touba before turning east and then north-east. She spent anotrher nihght at a new roost and then by evening on 29th was back in her old haunts near the River Senegal after a round trip of at least 570 km . She did not stay there so something must have changed food or competition wise because of 30th she flew NE over the river and into Mauritania, and the drifted further up river and between then and 3rd February stayed in a  big area some 70 km east of her previous wintering site

January 26th to February 3rd

Fearna remains in the same area on south bank of River Senegal

January 12th to 26th

Still in same area although made a flight to main river at 1500 and 1600GMT on 9th January – living in a range of 200 square km

Fearna continues to live long the south bank of the Senegal River, flying SW over the N2 main road in the evening to roost in semi-desert. She appears tbe fishing in a large area of irrigated land.

Dcember 20th to January 2nd

Fearna remains ranging in the same area on south side of Senegal River

Fearna has settled along the south river of the River Senegal, west of Gamdji Sure. Living in an area of wetlands and channels, and rice fields In evening flying 12to 14 km SW to roost in desert country.  Range 33 square km.

Fearna flew 264 kms on 12th November and by 1600GMT she had reached the Senegal River. Fearna then seetled in an area of smaller channels south of the main river in Senegal, SE of Podor. After a rather worrying and long drawn out migration she has finally reached the West African wintering grounds.  She is now 120 kms NE of Fiddich and 160 km east of Aigan.  It’s encouraging that 3 of the 4 young we tagged in the summer are in West Africa, and the fourth, Stan, made the big migration to the same longtitude but way to the west in the Cape Verdes and was then sadly lost.

Locations 12th to 15th November