Satellite tagged Loch Garten osprey ditches in Atlantic

01/10/2008 23:33:28 Sad end for juvenile osprey

September 2008. One of two young ospreys from the famous Loch Garten nest has died during his first migration. The two chicks from the Garten nest were fitted with satellite tags for the first time this year to enable scientists and the public to track their migration to West Africa. The transmitter fitted to Deshar, the male bird, shows him to be at zero speed and negative altitude in mid-Atlantic implying that the young osprey has ditched into the ocean.

Started migration in August
Deshar and his sister Nethy set out from Strathspey in mid August, but spent most of September in the South of England, building up their strength before the arduous 3000 mile onward journey to West Africa. Deshar unfortunately headed too far west too soon, and headed out into the open Atlantic, where he seems to have run out of options and energy.

Follow the migration online
People have been following the birds migration for the first time ever at www.rspb.org.uk/ospreytracking following on from the huge popularity of the blog, and the nestcam. Over the summer, more than 200 000 unique visitors logged on to see the birds growing up in the nest at Loch Garten, with many leaving comments on the blog.

2000 miles non-stop
RSPB Scotland Site Manager at Loch Garten Richard Thaxton said "We're very sad to have lost Deshar, we are gutted, but it just goes to show what mirgrant birds face when they

make these epic journeys. As newly fledged birds, they venture out into the unknown, they have to contend with harsh weather and disorientation and this shows how easily things can go wrong for them. Deshar appears to have flown nigh-on 2000 miles non-stop as he desperately tried to find landfall. The satellite data showed, unknown to him of course, that he was heading for the Azores, but he missed the islands and continued on out into mid-Atlantic and he eventually just ran out of fuel, poor fellow"

Very useful data
The tracking has not been in vain as it has told us so many things not known before, about the routes of migrant ospreys, the speed and altitude at which they migrate, where they have stopped along the way and for how long. It is just a shame that unfortunately Deshar he was unsuccessful.

Sister is alive and well - In France
Meanwhile though his sister Nethy is currently doing fine, making gradual steps south towards West Africa, presently in France.