A bird of prey from Renfrewshire has wowed conservationists by travelling 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and setting up in Barbados.
The female osprey was just a chick when last year it was given an anklet ring reading KW0 in Lochwinnoch by members of the Clyde Ringing Group.
Ospreys are known to travel to the Canary Islands over winter, with some even going as far as the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
However, the bird KW0 has travelled further than any other known osprey from Scotland, with conservationists describing it as “undoubtedly the most remarkable record of all”.
The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation is responsible for coordinating the UK colour ringing project.
They were contacted by amateur photographer Michael St John, informing them that on March 9, he had taken a snap of the bird which was ringed on June 23 last year and is thought to have fledged its nest in September.
“Nothing unusual there until I noticed where he had seen it – Bawdens Irrigation Pond in the north of Barbados in the Caribbean,” said Dr Tim Mackrill, an Ornithologist associated with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.
“As far as we are aware, this is the first time that a UK Osprey has been observed in the Americas.”
KW0 travelled a total of 4,124 miles from Lochwinnoch to Barbados, which is the kind of distance that many Ospreys from northern Europe will migrate each year – some Finnish Ospreys are known to winter in South Africa.
However, what makes KW0’s journey so special is that it was across the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Dr Mackrill said that it was unlikely KW0 would have been able to do the flight non-stop and suggested she might have relied on passing ships to rest her wings.
“It is highly unlikely that even an osprey could have completed this in a single flight, even with strong tailwinds, and so it is probable that she took the opportunity to rest on boats, which may themselves have been travelling to the Caribbean from the UK.” he said.
Michael has been involved in rehabilitating and creating a wetland bird sanctuary on the north of the island, Fosters Private Wetland.
He told the Paisley Daily Express that KW0 is looking comfortable and settled in its Caribbean surroundings.
He said: “Fosters Wetland is a fantastic rest facility. We have a number of ospreys year round on the island that frequent this wetland to catch fish on a daily basis, along with many other resident birds.
“You can let all bird watchers know that Barbados is a fantastic destination for birdwatching!”
Dr Mackrill said Renfrewshire could have lost KW0 for good, suggesting the bird may choose to stay in Barbados for the foreseeable future, and who can blame her?
He added: “Young Ospreys usually remain on the wintering grounds for the whole of their second calendar year, meaning that KW0 could linger in Barbados until spring 2024.
“Quite what happens then remains to be seen. Most Ospreys fly north back towards their natal area during their third calendar year, but clearly that is unlikely to be an option for KW0, who may instead choose to remain on the other side of the Atlantic.
“Let’s hope we receive further sightings of this remarkable young Osprey in the months ahead.”
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