Super Whooper "Conn" visits Sligo!

Updated 14th November 2007: Scroll down page for new maps

Image © SuperWhooper Project 2007

4th November 2007: This image shows the migration paths of all seven satellite-tagged Whooper Swans in the Super Whooper Project. Five have already completed their trips from Iceland to Ireland and the UK. "Conn" has arrived in Sligo, in Ballisodare Bay, while two swans have yet to leave Iceland. The movement of "Jaleel" (turquoise line) to the south-west of Iceland has prompted speculation that he too may be heading for an Irish wintering site.

Image © SuperWhooper Project 2007

"Conn" made the most of a fine mild afternoon with very little wind to make the relatively short journey from Inch Levels to Ballisodare Bay and on to Ballygawley Lake - relatively short compared to the distance travelled so far.

Timeline:

12.45pm 3rd November 2007: Satellite signal from "Conn" indicates that he has arrived in ireland after his travels in Scotland, and two signals in a short period are received from the area of Inch Levels, a gathering point for huge flocks of Whooper Swans as thousands make landfall in ireland, whether directly from iceland or via Scotland.

6.05pm 3rd November 2007: Satellite signal from "Conn" indicates that he is in Ballisodare bay, north of the mouth of the Ballisodare river - probably in the area known locally as "The Inishes"

6.05pm 3rd November 2007: Satellite signal from "Conn" indicates that he is in Ballisodare bay, north of the mouth of the Ballisodare river - probably in the area known locally as "The Inishes"

11.30pm 3rd November 2007: Satellite signal from "Conn" indicates that he has moved and is now at Ballygawley Lake. This signal which was received at 10.41pm was not a top quality signal, so the accuracy is not 100%, but this may be due to the lake's location - surrounded by wooded hills.

2.30am 4th November 2007: Latest signal from "Conn" indicates that he is still at Ballygawley Lake. This signal is a high quality signal and likely to be highly accurate

9.30am 4th November 2007: BirdWatch Sligo members confirm Conn's location on Ballygawley Lake, despite poor viewing conditions (fog); both his satellite antenna and darvic ring were clearly seen and photographed (photos below). He is in the company of an apparent mate (M. Bell, M. Casey, M. Keane, G. Scott)

10.15am 4th November 2007: Conn and his mate were seen and videoed leaving Ballygawley lake and flying south/south-east (M. Keane, G. Scott).


Conn's satellite antenna can clearly be seen in this image. Its position varies a little, and at times it is completely invisible under the plumage, which may not be helping signal quality. It is attached to a small back-pack unit which contains the batteries and transmitter. These back-packs normally drop off after the battery expires.

Conn was seen with a mate, but no young were seen. Both birds flew south/south east shortly after being sighted.

Images © Mícheál Casey 2007
Conn is ringed with an easily read plastic (Darvic) ring on the right leg and a more durable metal ring on the left. Before the advent of satellite tags, Darvic rings were the best way to track migratory swans, and will continue to be the backbone of studies of these birds as they are very economical and allow large numbers to be tracked over a longer period. Conn has been seen at this site several times in the past by local ring-reader and BirdWatch chairman Martin Enright, who last saw it here on the 5th March 2006.

Update 14th November 2007:

This is the current state of play with the Super Whooper project - three of the six birds that were tracked across the sea on autumn migration from Iceland are now in Ireland

- "Conn" (73X - orange trace above) is at Ballygawley Lake in Co. Sligo (see photos of his arrival here)
- "Jaleel" (CL9 - turquoise trace above) is at Greaghans Turlough, near Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo (and was seen by Wendy Stringer of BirdWatchMayo yesterday
- "Fiachra" is along the river Foyle north of Lifford in Co. Donegal

Regarding the others:
- One is in Scotland, near Dumfries - "Doon" (blue trace)
- One is in England, at the WWT Welney reserve in Cambridgeshire - "Blidfinnur" (red trace)
- A sixth bird "Merlin" (green trace) appears to have been lost at sea off the north-east Scottish coast

This is an enlarged detail from the main image above showing the location of the three birds that are in Ireland on 14/11/07

"Conn" is not the first Whooper Swan satellite tracked to Sligo on migration. That honour belongs to the less romantically-named "CPA" which was tracked in the early days of satellite tagging, in 1995. "CPA" took a more direct route, with an overnight rest-stop on the open ocean, and a hazardous night-time landing.