Whilst we’ve all been worrying about Blue YZ over the past ten days or so, our other satellite tagged bird from 2012, Blue YD, has been a busy young osprey, making another of his periodic trips to the Senegalese coast and back.

Late morning on the 9th he left his favoured bend on the river Senegal, following its course downstream as far as Richard Toll. Continuing in a SSW direction he passed to the east of the city of Saint-Louis, reaching the coast and the Langue de Barbarie National Park, where some of you will remember he spent most of his first African summer, at around 4pm.

The following day (10th) Blue YD resumed his travels, heading a further 40 miles (70km) south along the coast, before changing his mind and returning north. By late afternoon on 12th he was back in the Langue de Barbarie National Park where he remained for a further day, travelling restlessly up and down the narrow sandy peninsula, maybe searching for a vacant roosting spot?

Perhaps due to fierce competition from overwintering adults or just a pining for that familiar bend in the river Blue YD began heading inland before 7am on 14th, retracing his steps over the following 24 hours and by noon on 15th was back on his wintering grounds.

Will this pattern be repeated again before spring? You’ll just have to keep watching to find out!…

Jonathan