After 3 weeks stopping over in Galicia, NW Spain, Rothie has left the area and crossed into Africa. He remained in Galicia until the 27th and at 10:00 set off south. He crossed into Portugal at 14:15, stopped in Coimra at 19:00 and then rested there until 09:00 on the 29th. He then flew out over the Atlantic to the west of the Gibraltar Strait (replicating the route of his first crossing in 2009) at 16:30 and by the early hours on the 30th had made landfall in Morocco. Last transmission at 10:00 this morning he had continued flying and is now heading south through Morocco.

Spain to Morocco Sept 27th-30th

On 14th June Rothiemurchus dashed up to the River Spey and roosted again at Loch an Eilein. In the morning he was perched just a mile from his natal nest but by the afternoon he had gone back to the Ballinluig area of Perthshire -ranging as far as Loch Tay.

June 10th - 29th

On 14th June Rotrheimurchus dashed up to the River Spey and roosted again at Loch an Eilein. In the morning he was perched just a mile from his natal nest but by the afternoon he had gone back to the Ballinluig area of Perthshire -ranging as far as Loch Tay.

Rothiemurchus is not going to breed this summer but he is looking far and wide for a nest and a mate. On the 31st May he roosted overnight again at Loch an Eilean. Next day he headed south and by 10am on 1st June was in the Blair Athol area. On 2nd June he was around Loch of the Lowes at midday and then returned north to Blair Atholl. On 3rd and 4th he favoured the area east of Aberfeldy and on 5th was back near Dunkeld.

June 1st - 5th

Rothiemurchus has spent much of the last week either in the watershed of the River Spey or Findhorn. He roosted one night at Loch Garten, another beside Loch an Eilein and the last few nights along the upper Findhorn River. In the last few days he visited different ospreys nests at 1pm, 2pm (Red 8T’s nest) and 4pm on 27th May, and nests in Nairnshire and near Inverness at 11am and 4pm on 28th. This is the first time we’ve tracked the searching behaviour of a pre-breeding osprey. We often see ‘intruding ospreys’ visiting occupied and unoccupied nests – it’s well known feature of osprey summers.

May 27th - 30th

May 25th - 27th

On 21st flew north from the Carlisle area and was at Stirling at 5pm, Loch Tummel at 6pm and at 8pm was perched near an area where an unattached female was holding a new nest. He roosted at Loch an Eilein, passed over his natal area next day before heading to Donside, he then flew south to Glentanar, spent the afternoon west of Braemar before flying north and roosting overnight in Strathdon. On 23rd Rothiemurchus flew down to Dunkeld – Blair Atholl area and on 24th was near Loch Tummel. The north to south distance is 170 miles, which shows the extent of ranging of pre-breeding adults.

May 22nd

May 21st