Southern Cross Peregrine Project — Island Girl

[AlisonL]

By November 6, Island Girl was in Ecuador and approaching the border of Peru. So far, she had travelled 6,041 miles.



The associated blog entry, from Donald McCall:

6 November, 2016

Approaching Peru

Over the past three days Island Girl has moved from the higher ground of the western foothills and fringes of the Andes down into the coastal lowlands of Ecuador, still a few hundred meters (1000 feet, more or less) above sea level and some distance inland.  She has been roosting overnight in mixed agricultural/forested areas and generally staying close to rivers, at least overnight. She spent last night in the southwestern corner of Ecuador, not far from the border of Peru which, at this location, is both west and south of her.

This is close to the spot where Island Girl roosted last year on 01 November, so she's now about 5 days behind last year's schedule, which is a typical variation from year to year.

[AlisonL]

The most recent map update, from November 17, shows Island Girl in Chile. She has now covered a distance of 8,308 miles.



The three most recent blog entries, from Donald McCall:

12 November, 2016

At the "Arica Bend"

Island Girl’s shortcut yesterday (in the region of South America known to geographers as the “Arica Elbowâ€�, or "Arica Bend") took her over the Pacific Ocean for 371 km (231 mi) before returning to land in southern Peru.  She appears to have made landfall in the vicinity of Ito, although it must be remembered that we have only a few GPS locations every day and the route that Island Girl actually follows to connect those dots is, by default, shown as straight lines on the maps but her exact route between the dots is unknown.  For example, she might have returned to the coast considerably north of Ito and then followed the shoreline to Ito, and the map would look exactly the same.

By late morning today, Island Girl was on the move again, following the coast, and was 86 km (53 mi) from the Chilean border.

Here's an interesting article about the geology of the Arica Bend. Apparently the land north of Arica is slowly rotating counterclockwise, and the land south of Arica is rotating clockwise, resulting in the bent coastline (and the entire Andes chain, for that matter):  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040195198000584

14 November, 2016

Heading For Home

Island Girl is now in Chile and following the Pacific coastline south, currently passing through the barren Atacama Desert, typically roosting at night hundreds of meters above sea level but only a few kilometers from the ocean. She is about halfway between Iquique and Antofagasta, and about 1450 km (900 mi) from her final destination.

17 November, 2016

Approaching Valparaiso

Island Girl has flown 1200 km (746 mi) in the past three days, averaging 400 km (249 mi) per day as she has followed Chile's Pacific Coast southward, roosting at night in the high desert foothills of the Andes just a few kilometers from the ocean - although last night she roosted near some coastal dunes adjacent to the Petorca River north of Valparaiso. She is now 296 km (184 mi) from her final destination at the Putu Dunes just north of Constitución, and will most likely complete her migration within a day or two.

[Donna]

She is remarkable!! 

[MAK]

Just so unbelievable the stamina and determination exhibited. WOW!! Thanks Alison! 

[Carol P.]

Such an amazing bird! 

[AlisonL]

Island Girl is home!

I was worried about her, because the last location posted on the map was from November 17, but this morning there is one more entry. She arrived at her winter home in Chile yesterday. I am so happy for her, and wish her a safe, enjoyable winter and a safe return in the spring.

What a wonderful, incredible peregrine she is!  She has now travelled 8,491 miles.



The final details of her journey:



The blog entry, from Donald McCall:

22 November, 2016

Island Girl Has Completed Her Southbound Migration

As Island Girl was approaching Valparaiso, Chile on the last leg of her southern migration, we lost all contact with her for approximately 5 days.  Usually this is a bad sign, because temporary outages due to a depleted battery in her backpack have always in the past resolved themselves after two or three days, with at least occasional data being received even if it's not of sufficient quality to publish on a web map. By the third or fourth day we began to fear that her backpack transmitter had failed, or worse (the batteries have never before lasted more than two years or so, so eight years has already been extremely exceptional).  But, amazingly, we received one more sub-standard data point early this morning, but it was good enough to indicate that Island Girl has reached her southern home range near Putu on the Pacific Coast of Chile.

Whether her transmitter and battery will regain full functionality, enabling us to track her next northbound migration in April, is an open question.  For now, all is well.

[patsy6]

  

[Carol P.]

  Safely to her winter home!

[MAK]

Now you can rest girl! 

[Kris G.]

What an amazing Falcon and amazing journey for so many yrs! 
             

[Donna]

I wish I had 1/2 her energy!!

[AlisonL]

Island Girl's transmitter has sent a few more fairly weak signals.

She is somewhere in this general area:



Definitely not an urban peregrine.

[Carol P.]

Thanks for the update Alison!