18- 28 November

We have lost contact with 130395 and 130396 and fear the worst.

130393 and 130394 are still moving around in relatively small areas  in South Sudan, and are about 400 km away from one another.

At 0800 GMT on 27 November, 130393 was located near the settlement of Fashin, and only about 40 km from its location 10 days previous.

At 1315 GMT on 28 November, 130394 was located near the settlement of Jaziel, and only about 110 km from its location 10 days previous.

Movements of 130393 and 130394 during 18-28 November.

130397 is still on the coast of Eritrea near the port city of Massawa

The movements of 130397 during 18-28 November 2013.

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And now for something a little different

While this blog focuses on the movements of a few birds, our main field effort is on the breeding grounds in Oman.  Although we know quite a bit about that breeding population, in some places the population of breeding sooty falcons is less well known.  One of those less well known populations is that on the Sept Freres Islands in Djibouti.  Below are some pictures taken by Houssein Rayaleh, the director of Djibouti Nature, a local NGO, who visited the islands earlier this year, and found birds breeding.  Houssein was unable to properly search the islands, but they are thought to hold 5-10 pairs, at least.  Djibouti Nature is also a partner in the tracking of an Egyptian vulture in the horn of Africa

The Djiboutian sooty falcon survey team

A sooty falcon with its prey, an African collared dove

At the moment...

130393 and 130394 are in South Sudan, not making much migratory progress, but presumably taking up local foraging opportunities.

130395 and 130396 have not transmitted for some time, and have us worried.  We are working with Saudi and other colleagues to try to determine what has happened.

130397 is moving around  coastal Eritrea, probably doing exactly what 130393 and 190394 are doing.

Not much movement

Well, since the last post...

• 130393 has moved a bit SW to near Wau on the 21st then SE to near Riani, South Sudan. That brings it back near to where it was on 13 November.  
• 130394 is presumably well in South Sudan, and we are waiting for new data.
• We still have not heard from 130395. It has missed three transmission cycles. We are working with Saudi collaborators to gather more information.
• 130396 is also worrying us.  It has missed 1 transmission cycle and was last heard over the Red Sea about 60 km from the African mainland at about 1900 hrs.
• 130397 is still hanging around the Eritrean coast south and east of Asmara.

Movements of migrating sooty falcons 12-22 November 2013

It is interesting to note that the migration pattern of sooty falcons tracked by us and Dr. Marion Gschweng in 2010 (http://sootyfalconoman.blogspot.co.at/) is similar to what we seem to be seeing. Birds seem willing to stop and wander around areas instead of constantly pushing south.  Presumably this is because while migrating the birds encounter good foraging conditions and just decide to take advantage of them.   So far the migration paths of the birds since they have been in Africa are different that the birds tracked in 2010, which may suggest that sooty falcon migration does not concentrate at any locations.  As far as we are aware no concentrations of migrating sooty falcons have been reported

What has happened to 130395?

We are a bit worried about 130395.  It was last heard at about 1400 on 14 November about 5 km E of Bishah, Saudi Arabia.  It should have reported in twice since then, but we have heard nothing.  We'll look more closely at the data running up to that last transmission and see if we can form a theory as to what is going on. We'll also just hope that it comes on again...

Here is what the others are doing...

130396 was last heard moving across the Red Sea on 17 November at 1900.
130397 was still in the vicinity of Mersa Fatma, Eritrea in the early morning of the 18th.  It has been in this area since early on 13 November.

Recent locations of 130395, 130396 and 130397.

130393 and 130394 are both in South Sudan.  Both have recently made moves north.  130394 started moving north on the 13th and by the 19th of November was just east of the town of Gogrial, South Sudan. 130394 moved north on the 14th and on the 16th it was near Malakal, South Sudan.  By the 19th it was near the town of Waat.  We don't really know what caused both of these birds to head north, but perhaps it was related to the local weather.  Here is a map of the weather in the region on the 14th, when they started to move back north.

Recent movements of 130393 and 130394.  Note that 130393 has moved north, and 130394 moved north, but has since moved back south.

Pace of migration slows

Since the last post, the tagged birds have not moved very far, and in two cases they back tracked.  We don't know why this is.  Weather can play a part in the pace of migration and falcons prefer to use advantageous weather conditions when migrating.  At the end of last week a cyclone hit Somalia, and perhaps the winds associated with that affected the falcons, especially those still on the Arabian Peninsula.  Also, these small falcons need to feed while on migration and so it may be that they are finding opportunities to hunt, and are lingering in good habitat. So, here what has happened:

130393 moved back north and was last located near the South Sudanese town of Lor.
130394 pushed farther south and was last located near the South Sudanese town of Wernyol.
130395 backtracked and was last located just east of Bishah, Saudi Arabia.
130396 jumped onto an island in the middle of the Red Sea, west of the Saudi Arabian town of Al Qahma.
130397 wandered around the area of Mersa Fatma, Eritrea.

Paths of five migrating sooty falcons during the 10 days prior to 16 November 2013.

Location of 130396 near the end of its transmission period on 15 November 2013.

Also, we wanted to draw your attention to Amur falcons (Falco amurensis).  Last year it was revealed that huge numbers of these birds were being captured in India for food.  You can find a report on that and the subsequent conservation activity at the CMS web site.  If you follow the "read more" link, you will get to a report that then has a link to see an up to date map of three migrating Amur falcons fitted with satellite transmitters.  Below is a map downloaded on 15 November.

Movements of three Amur falcons up to 15 November 2013.

وتستمر هجرة الصقر الادهم من سلطنة عمان

تتواصل هجرة الصقور الدهماء الخمسة التي انطلقت في مطلع نوفمبر 2013 من جزيرة الفحل ببحر عمان. ولكل طائر رقم تعريفي وهي على التوالي (130393، 130394، 130395،130396، 130397). وإليكم تحديثا عن المستجدات في هجرتها. والتي نتوقع أنها ستنتهي في جمهورية  مدغشقر.

تتواصل هجرة الصقر الادهم (صقر الغروب) من سلطنة عمان ويتوقع انتهاء مسار هجرتها بجمهورية مدغشقر

وحول تفاصيل الهجرة التي ترد بياناتها تباع عبر الاقمار الاصطناعية ،فقد واصل الصقر 130393 تقدمه من شمال دولة جنوب السودان في 11 نوفمبر إلى جنوبها 13 نوفمبر قاطعا ما يزيد على 500 كم.

أما الصقر 130394 فقد تقدم من الحدود الشرقية للسودان باتجاه الجنوب  في 10 نوفمبر متجها إلى أعالي النيل (جمهورية جنوب السودان) في 12 نوفمبر قاطعا بذلك مسافة تقارب 900 كم.

الصقرين 130393 و130394

أما الصقرين 130395 و130396، فيتقدمان ببطء من وسط المملكة العربية السعودية الى الحدود الغربية للمملكة جنوب مكة المكرمة وعبر أجواء جبال السروات بمنطقتي الباحة وعسير. وتقد مسافتهما المقطوعة بين 150 كم و 550 كم خلال أربعة الايام الماضية.

الصقرين بالمملكة العربية السعودية 

أما الصقر الاخير 130397 فقطع شوطا كبير منتقلا من اليمن (من 100 كم جنوب العاصمة صنعاء) عابرا البحر الاحمر بالاتجاه الغربي متوجها إلى السواحل الحدودية الشرقية لاريتريا. حيث قطع ما يربو على 450 كم بين الفترة من 11 إلى 13 نوفمبر.

الصقر 130397

Migration continues

Today 130395 did not move very far, and is currently located about 65 km SE of Taif, Saudi Arabia.

130394 traveled south into South Sudan about 100 km east of Malakal, and only about 215 km east of 130393's position.

Migration continues

The map below shows the movements of all birds. Changes since the last posting include:

• At 0600 on 10 November 130394 was located about 200 km NE of Kassala, Sudan.
• At 2200 on 9 November 130395 was just north of the town of Jarab in Saudi Arabia.
• Later on 8 November, 130397 pushed farther SW into Yemen and was located just north of the town of Rumah.

Movements of sooty falcons during 10 days up to 10 Nov 2013.

All falcons underway

130396 finally left the area where it was reared and started on migration. By about 10:00 on 8 November it was located close to PDO's Lahkwair camp near the Oman/Saudi/UAE border.

130396's first migratory movements

Also 130393 has moved farther along its migratory path, and by afternoon on 8 November it was located near the Sudan/S. Sudan border near the towns of Tungaru and Tongoi.

Related to what we are reporting, here is some information the migratory movements of Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) fitted with satellite tags in the eastern part of their distribution, and being tracked by Thomas Hadjikyriakou, a PhD candidate studying the birds in Cyprus.  The Eleonora's falcon is closely related to the sooty falcon.  The two species breed during summer so as to feed their offspring on autumn migrants, and the bulk of both spend the non-breeding season in Madagascar.

Two in Africa, two on the way

130393 moved across the Red Sea and was first detected in Africa early on 6 November.  At 1400 on that day it was near the Sudanese town of Kassala.  13034 also made the jump across the Red Sea and was first detected in Africa at about noon on 7 November, near the coast and near some islands that appear that they might hold breeding sooty falcons (Is there anyone out there that knows about the islands of southern Sudan, and can give us information?  Maybe the PERSGA guys?).  Its last location was near the town of Afflanda, Sudan.

130393 and 130394 cross the Red Sea into Sudan.

130395 probably started its migration on 5 November.  At 13:32 on 7 November it was located in the middle of the Rub' Al Khali in southern Saudi Arabia.

Locations of 130395 up to 7 November

130397 probably initiated migration on the 7th of November.  By early 8 November it was located in the far northeastern corner of Yemen, near the Saudi Arabian border town of Al Kharkir.

We expect to hear from 130396 that it has started to migrate.  Its last location was still on the breeding grounds.

Movements of 130397 up to 8 November.

130395 has left Fahal on migration

Three sooty falcons fitted with satellite tags in 2013 have started on migration; two have yet to make a move, but are alive and well.

130395 started migrating on 4 November.  Surprisingly, the first location on the mainland was at about 2200 hrs, so he was flying in the dark.  The last location was at 0300 on 5 November, south of Barka.

Movements by 130395 during 1-5 November 2013.

130393 made a further move and is now located on the Yemen Red Sea coast around Al Hudaydah. Almost certainly his next move will be into Africa.  Have a look at the two maps below.

130394's movement across Arabia.

130394's recent locations on the Red Sea coast

Migration has started

Two of the five birds that we fitted with satellite transmitters have started their migration.

130393 left Fahal probably on 31 October or 1 November.  By 11:00 in the morning on 1 November it was located near Samail.  Later that day it was located near Nizwa.  See the map below.

Just to remind you, these are not GPS quality locations, and so the accuracy needs to be kept in mind. The different colors of the dots indicate the quality/accuracy of the location estimate, with the green dots being best quality, white being less good, and brown being the least good.  Also, the lines that join the dots can be misleading, and you must remember that the routes taken are very unlikely to be straight lines.  In any case, it seems that this bird took a route that took it through the Samail gap.

130393 makes his first move from Fahal around 1 November
(Click on the image and it will open in a separate window and be easier to see.).

130394 has also started migrating.  It left Fahal probably on 30 October, and by the 31st it was located between Nizwa and Ibri.  By 3 November it had already moved into southern Saudi Arabia on the border with Yemen about 20 km north of the town of Sharorah.  See the map below.

130394 moved from Fahal around 30 October, and by 3 November was in southern Saudi Arabia.

The other three birds fitted with transmitters are still on Fahal and all seem to be alive and well.