I thought I would share some satellite maps regarding the Ospreys that are being tracked.

Considering how close the Montana Osprey nests are to the Calgary, Alberta Enmax/Zoo nest, I thought it would be valuable to have some of the satellite tracking data from the Montana Ospreys in this forum's archives.

Dr. Heiko Langner and Dr. Erick Greene of Project Osprey, in collaberation with Raptor View Research Institute, are tracking members of two osprey families from the Bitterroot Valley area (where the Dunrovian nest is located), about 20 miles south of the Hellgate osprey nest. These are the first migration data for Ospreys from Montana. It's probably not a stretch to envision the Calgary Enmax/Zoo Ospreys following a very similar tracking pattern.

Here's a visual of the distance between Calgary, Alberta and the Montana Osprey nests.



The first satellite data download was for dates ending September 26, 2012. According to Erick Greene's posts at Osprey Cam's FB page, there were 4 Osprey tracks: Purple Mom, Green, Turquoise, and Orange Chicks.

Here is the tracking data ending September 26th. The Orange Chick is in SE Idaho, the Turquoise Chick is at the Oklahoma/Texas border, and the Green Chick is in Texas. Purple Mom is down in Nicaragua along the Pacific Coast very close to the Costa Rican border.



The 3 chicks are floundering around trying to figure out where their going for the first time, while Purple Mom takes a direct path down to her wintering grounds. She obviously knew exactly where she was going...I wonder how many times she's done that trip before?


Purple Mom appears to have begun her migration on September 1, 2012

Then, by September 19, Purple Mom appears to have reached her southern-most destination - it took her 18 days from her nest in Montana to reach the southern point of Nicaragua. I have no idea how many miles it is, but that's amazing! She continues to hang around that area thru September 26.




She seems to favor two particular bays.




The next satellite data tracks end on October 1, 2012. There are 2 more tracks on the map, a Yellow and a Blue which appeared to begin their migration later: The Blue Osprey began September 30 (to the best of my knowlege), while the Yellow Osprey began September 26th or 27th which is why they never showed up on the last tracking map.



The Orange Chick, and the additional Yellow Osprey are at the southern border of New Mexico. The Turquoise Chick is in Oklahoma, and the Green Chick is in Mexico along the Gulf of Mexico. The Blue Osprey is in Idaho. Purple Mom is still down at Nicaragua.

Here's a closer shot of October 1 tracking data, minus Purple Mom and Green Chick.




Purple Mom continues to hang out in the two bays near El Ostional, Nicaragua.




A closer view.



I wonder if this is where she stays all winter or if she will continue further south? I guess the next set of tracking data may answer that question.

Good Afternoon Friends.:hello:.We have an update on the Screen Capture Contest; there was a total of 119 scap entries, which have short listed to 41 entries and you are invited to help select the Top 9; 3 per nest.

As you will see there are many awesome screen captures. Please note that this is a View Only thread so if you have any questions feel free to bring them back here and we will be help you.

For more information and to see all the beautiful screen captures of our Delta, Lafarge & White Rock families .... click on the link below.

forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=421390&lastpost=true#422491

Thanks again to all of our members that contributed to this very first Screen Capture Contest ... every capture rekindled some very fine memories of our HWF Bald Eagle Families

Good Afternoon Friends.....

The Results of the Screen Capture Contest are here


forum/viewtopic.php?topic=424783#424783