Nethy the Osprey in West Africa

Taken from the RSPB site.
Wednesday.22/10
Ok then, I've just checked the satellite data and as of 9am this morning (22nd October) Nethy had reached the river Richard mentioned yesterday and has followed it up to Lac de Guiers. Yesterday she travelled about 77km (48 miles), so she's just taking her time and enjoying the fishing.

Nethy's story is possibly set to hit the national press tomorrow.

Meanwhile back here at the reserve, the first wintering fieldfares have arrived. At this time of year when we get crisp, still, frosty mornings the like of which we get in Spring, we can sometimes see an out of season resumption of lekking activity by black grouse. Sure enough, this morning we came across 8 males strutting their stuff.

Tuesday 21/10
The latest data we have, up to 10am this morning, shows Nethy to now be in northern Senegal, just 12km (8 miles) from a large river close to Lac de Guiers, south of the Senegal River. Over the last two days she has covered approx. 203km (126 miles).

She seems to be relaxing, taking some well-earned rest and enjoying the presumably plentiful supplies of fish available to her now, as the data shows her to be spending time, resting for prolonged spells - clearly no great urgency for her to be constantly searching for food or pressing on anywhere in particular.

Nethy must be enjoying the warmth of the region too, unlike Loch Garten today where we had snow and sleet. The gale force winds over the weekend, have stripped the leaves form the broadleaf trees and strewn yellow pine needles everywhere.

You might want to watch The One Show on BBC TV next week on Tuesday 28th October at 7pm, as Operation Osprey at Loch Garten will feature - an historical piece about the early days of osprey protection.