Nethy and Deshar - named after the two nearest primary schools to their nest - have just started their long haul to south following their summer fledgling in and around the Boat of Garten beauty spot.

Mr Richard Thaxton, site manager for the RSPB at Loch Garten said: "Nethy seems to be flying strongly, making a beeline South, crossing the Forth and reaching Durham by Thursday. She then flew south over Bradford, Huddersfield and the outskirts of Coventry.

"Deshar, on the other hand, had a bit of a nightmare start, with a couple of further hiccups on the way.

"At the beginning of his marathon journey he headed almost due east far out over into the North Sea before realising he had made a mistake, and coming back to dry land to start again.

"Since then he's made solid progress down the country, passing directly over Leeds, down the backbone of England over the Pennines to Nottingham, before heading south east over Cambridge.

"He then flew straight over Colchester and again charged out to sea over the Greater Thames estuary, before deciding against it and turning back towards Margate and on to the west of Folkestone.

Both birds had reached the South of England by Monday night and and were expected to be over France by the time the Strathy went to press yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.

Nethy and Deshar have been travelling at speeds of up to 35mph, and it could take four to five weeks to reach their destination.

An RSPB spokesman said: "For the first time, we'll have an accurate idea of where these birds winter and how long it takes them to get there.

"As well as teaching us more about their behaviour, we hope to link up with people and schools along the migration route, to share information and enhance protection for these magnificent birds throughout the year.

"The new website builds on the blog and the live nestcam in opening up the enjoyment of following these birds to a huge online community.

"These innovations have proved hugely popular, with the nestcam at Loch Garten alone receiving a phenomenal 200 000 unique visitors this year.

"We hope that the birds do make it to West Africa, and for the first time ever we'll know whether or not they have."

It's been a successful year for the Loch Garten nest, especially after last year's disappointing season when no chicks survived.

This year, three chicks were born to parents EJ (female) and VS but unfortunately, the third one proved to be just too weak to survive. However the two older chicks are very healthy, and this year has to be regarded as a success in the illustrious history of the Loch Garten nest, the spokesman said.

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