Whimbrel Satellite Tracking

Whimbrel Research and Satellite Tracking

The Journeys of Wally

Last transmission received 17/06/2006 19:00. - Conakry, Guinea, West Africa

Satellite Image of Wally's Last Known Location - Courtesy of Google Maps

Wally the Whimbrel - 02/05/2005 – 15/06/2006

Wally was tagged on 2^nd May 2005, left the Lower Derwent Valley on 12^th May 2005 and rapidly moved to Iceland.

She, (the results of later DNA work showed that Wally was female), may have bred on the Icelandic lowlands near Kopasker before moving west to an area near Laugarbakki.

Wally left Iceland on 1^st August 2005 and staged in Brittany from the 5^th to the 8^thAugust. By the 18^th August 2005 she was off the coast of Morocco and moved through Mauritania (22^ndAugust) and Senegal (26^th August) before arriving at the wintering grounds in Guinea on the 30^th August 2005.

Wally remained in Guinea until 22^nd April 2006 and then appeared to begin the return migration. By the 26^th April she had reached Senegal but then surprisingly returned to the same wintering grounds in Guinea on 1^st May 2006. Transmissions from Guinea continued until the 17^th June 2006 after which time no further signals were received.

The 12g Satellite Transmitter and Wally wearing the transmitter.

Some other satellite tagged waders have also abandoned their spring migration and returned to the wintering grounds. The reason why the transmissions stopped may be due to an electronic failure, a break in the bio-degradable harness which held the transmitter in place or the death of Wally.

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The following Links will open Maps showing Wally's Movements and some notes.

The Map Pins are Colour Coded as detailed here :

Observations	Satellite Fixes to +/-
Visual Fix	350 meters	600 meters	1000 meters
Green Pins	Yellow Pins	Blue Pins	Purple Pins


Data Plot Maps
All Data Plot - 27/04/2006	UK Staging - 26/08/2005
Iceland - 22/09/2005	Iceland Breeding and Staging - 22/09/2005
European Passage - 18/08/2005	France Staging - 18/08/2005
Africa - 02/05/2006	West African - 02/05/2006
African Wintering Grounds - 02/05/2006

Movement Maps
All Movements - 02/05/2006	Iceland - 19/08/2005
Europe - 26/08/2005	Africa - 02/05/2006
West Africa - 02/05/2006