---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barry Truitt <btruitt at tnc.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Subject: Virginia WHIMBREL Update


It appears that Winnie has either dropped her PPT or worse yet, she has
died. The last two location fixes had her at Wiscosin Point, a large sandbar
that stretches for 10 miles between Superior and Duluth but the activity
sensor showed no activity. We have contacted some people in the area that
are going to search for her or the PPT. More to follow later...........
As to Willie, he apparently departed the Eastern Shore over the holiday
weekend on a trans-Atlantic flight. The last location was about 200 miles NW
of Bermuda, heading south at almost 50 mph, right towards three tropical
storms (Hanna, Ike, and now Josephine). More also to follow...........


from a separate email -

After the transmitter attachment on 8-14-2008, Willie stayed in the same
general area on north Elkins Marsh just offshore of his capture site on the
Eastern Shore. Based on a flight speed of 25 to 30 mph Willie left the
Eastern Shore of Virginia in the late afternoon on Saturday August 30th
(local times and dates). 22 hours later Willie had flown a straight line
distance of 590 miles and was about 200 miles WSW of Bermuda. The latest
positions show the bird on the northeastern shore of Mayaguana, a straight
line distance of about 700 miles from her last position on 8-31-2008. Two
class 3 positions about 2 hours apart show her in the same area of the
island, with the activity sensor advancing.

It sure looks like Willie is in a pretty nice place. But there are 2
tropical storms still heading brewing down there. Here is the link to the
Mayaguana Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayaguana

No further word on Winnie. A crew from Hawk Ridge along with 2 bird dogs
will be conducting a search on Minnesota Point, not Wiscosin Point, today.




--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura at gmail.com
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