Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bad news again

Hi all,

I am afraid to tell you that the transmitter of Sinbad is very probably sending from the very same spot since quite some time. It's David Douglas who gave me the hint to check the activity sensor of the bird and indeed, the activity sensor is not showing any activity anymore. This means that a) the bird is dead but the transmitter is still exposed to the sun and is therefore still sending signals (and the movements we saw is just a dispersion of ARGOS errors) or b) the bird lost the transmitter and the device is lying on the ground, exposed to the sun.

I am really sorry but very obviously we will not be able to follow the spring migration of Sinbad!!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Sinbad still in Madagascar

Hi all,

still no signs for migratory activity of Sinbad. It is still staying in the very same region and shows no signs of restlessness, i.e. enlarging the area or moving longer distances from one location to the other. Now the question arises, if Sinbad will leave Madagascar at all? Maybe it stays there until the next wet season? Latest observations of Sooties in Madagascar are of 14th of May (F. Hawkins pers. comm.), so this will be a late bird, it if starts migrating only now....