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

Rothiemurchus sateyd in the Borders until 16th, after roosting overnight at Bowhill. At midday on 16th he was tracking the Peebles road towards Penicuik and an hour later was flying over the Forth just east of the Rail Bridge at 80km/hr and at 839 metres altitude. At 2pm he was near Uchtermuckty and an hour later south of Dunkeld. The next signal (miserable overcast weather is preventing full charges of the battery) was at 9am on 17th May when he was near Braemar in Aberdeenshire. At 1pm he was near an old established osprey nest further north near the River Don and then at 3pm he was by the junction of the Braemar road east of Corgarff. The next signal on 18th May showed him back in the Borders near Yarrow at 4pm and by the River Ettrick at 5pm. Very interesting movements.

May 15th - 18th

After a few days south of Carlisle, he roosted last night to the east of the town and today flew north to the Scottish Borders osprey nesting areas. He was at Innerleithen at 10am, at Stobo an hour later and aound 4pm near Selkirk. So he clearly having a good look around at the nests.

May 12th - 15th

I am hoping to sat tag four new ospreys in the Highlands this year – at least one of the tags is already funded but I am appealing for help with funding. The GPS satellite tags are now costing just over £3000 each and the annual download costs are about £700. Full sponsorship of either amount would be acknowledged on the individual bird’s webpage. If you can help please send cheques, made out to Highland Foundation for Wildlife, to me at Middle Lodge, Dunphail, Forres, Moray IV36 2QQ or email me to discuss a donation and for details of our bank transfer details. Many thanks. Roy

Rothiemurchus was perched beside Derwentwater north of the Low Brandelhow ferry pier in the Lake District at 7am and 8am, almost certainly after fishing. He then flew north and between 9am and 10am flew over the Bassenthwaite Osprey Site before heading north to his last year’s haunts south of Carlisle. I wonder if he will settle in Cumbria or whether the pull of the Highlands will take him north? Three days until the next downloads.

This is a fascinating bird to track home – he is old enough to breed at three years of age but he left it rather late to leave Africa. The very poor weather for migration from Spain to the UK also delayed him. There’s just time to breed if he quickly found an unattached female with a nest! His summer of wandering last year will have taught him the locations of many of the possible nests.

Bassenthwaite Lake 9-10am

Rothiemurchus set off early and at 7am was flying N at Wellington; he was over No Man’s Heath an hour later and then at 1pm was just NW of Bolton. Passing Blackburn, he flew over Wolfhole Crag heading NW for the Lakes. At 7pm he was at Skelwith Bridge and then flew over the high hills at Ullscarf before roosting over night at south end of Derwentwater. 239 km today.

He crossed the Bristol Channel to Nash Point in early Morning and at 8am was near Bridgend. He then flew NNE over the Welsh Valleys and at 10am was near Aberdare. At 3pm he was perched by the river near Hay-on-Wye and then flew slowly east and then north up past the Clee Hills in generally poor weather. At 8pm he was fishing near a small lake and then roosted in nearby woods just SW of Broseley, NW of Birmingham. Day flight of 190 km.