‘Human swan’ to become an osprey on flight to Africa
A conservationist who became known as ‘‘the human swan’’ after risking being shot, electrocuted and attacked by bears to follow the birds’ 7500km migration route is to repeat the feat with ospreys.
Sacha Dench, 41, a distant relative of Dame Judi Dench, will next year make a 10,000km journey between Scotland and west Africa, crossing 15 countries by paramotor – a powered paraglider – to follow the birds of prey. Dench, who made the original flight on the trail of the Bewick’s swan from the Russian Arctic to Britain in 2016, is hoping to find out why some ospreys fail to return to Scotland after leaving their nests on their annual migration.
Unlike swans, ospreys migrate on thermal updrafts to reach altitudes of thousands of feet, and then take long glides to their next thermal. During their autumn migration they cross high mountain ranges, seas and deserts, making the new journey longer and more treacherous.
Dench said: ‘‘I’m really excited about this new expedition. The osprey is a magnificent bird and an impressive flier. To get inside the head of the animals we are trying to bring back, and try to see the world as they do, will be an eye-opener for scientists and conservationists.
‘‘The last expedition taught me there is nothing like showing up and talking to local people, to help learn what the problems really are, but also to come up with a plan – with them, and sometimes really quickly – for how to solve them.’’
Osprey were once extinct in Britain but they were reintroduced in the 1950s and there are now about 250 breeding pairs in Scotland and an estimated 25 in England and Wales.
However, about half of chicks fail to reach the breeding age of three, and many young birds die in their first year. Miss Dench is hoping to find out why many do not return to Scotland.
Historically, ospreys were killed because they were seen as a threat to trout and salmon stocks and were shot by gamekeepers and sportsmen. More recently agricultural practices led to the destruction of habitat and nest sites and the birds have also fallen foul of taxidermists and egg collectors.
Dench is travelling from Scotland as it would be impossible to make the trip from Africa to Scotland on the return migration because of headwinds and lack of thermals.
She will be following a group of tagged ospreys, and the journey, which begins in September next year, will be live-streamed.