Mustapha was caught as an adult at the colony of Zouweboezem in the Netherlands.
Mustapha is named after Mustapha Elataoui, a school teacher in Morocco. In 2007, he found the injured purple heron 'Georges' and took care of him. Georges had been shot with a slingshot by local boys.
Mustapha’s 2009-2010 journey
Mustapha left the Netherlands at 9 September. In this period a lot of Purple Herons left the breeding areas in The Netherlands. At 10 September he made a short stop in the famous oyster production area near Rochfort. He did not stay for long as we got signals above the Bay of Biscay and over Spain at 11 September. He continued his flight. At 14 September we already received a signal above the vast sand dunes of southern Mauritania. He continued his travel and at 16 September he was already in Gambia close to the river at Georgetown. By 4 October Mustapha had reached Sierra Leone, just two days earlier than in 2008. Mustapha continued his journey and on 12 October was back in Sierra Leone, just outside the village of Baoma in the same spot where he was seen by a team from Wetlands International and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone in February 2009. Mustapha remains close to Baoma into early December.
Mustapha’s 2008-2009 journey
9 May - September 2009 - Mustapha is in the breeding area. 8 May 2009 - Mustapha arrived back at the breeding colony. 5 May 2009 - Over the past few days Mustapha has continued his journey northwards. He has moved around 200km to an area just outside of Montélimar. 3 April 2009 - 30 April 2009 - Mustapha remains near Toulon, feeding at park ponds as well as marine shores in the habour. - see photograph below* 2 April 2009 - Mustapha was the first of the herons to make it into Europe. He was traced to a small city park near Toulon in southern France - see photograph below* 29 March 2009 - He had already reached Algeria. 27 March 2009 - Mustapha started his migration northwards and passed into Mauritania. Early February 2009 - During an expedition to Sierra Leone we visited Baoma to get better impressions about the kind of conditions faced by Mustapha. 3 January 2009 - Mustapha moved near to Baoma in the south eastern part of Sierra Leone. This place is only about 30 kilometres from the non-breeding site used by Gerrit. 8 October 2008 - 2 January 2009 - He moved to another nearby wetland, the Scarceries. 6 October 2008 - Mustapha has made it to the Sierra Leone River Estuary. 18 September 2008 - He stayed at a reservoir in the southern part of Mauritania near to the Senegal River. 14 September 2008 - 15 September 2008 - He reached western Algeria and by 15 September had moved on to Mauritania. 13 September 2008 - Only two days after leaving the Netherlands, Mustapha has already flown over France and on 13 September has sent signals over the sea south of Mallorca in Spain. 11 September 2008 - Mustapha has already started his journey southwards and was in northern France.
*During his journey from Africa, Mustapha had stopped for a month-long stay around Toulon in southern France and we have been sent a photograph of the small city park where he spent much of his time. This was sent to us by ARGOS, the company that sends us the herons' coordinates from the satellites, and provides us with an insight into the habitats used by the herons during their migration.
Toulon city park used by Mustapha (ARGOS).
Mustapha was caught as an adult at the colony of Zouweboezem in the Netherlands.
Mustapha is named after Mustapha Elataoui, a school teacher in Morocco. In 2007, he found the injured purple heron 'Georges' and took care of him. Georges had been shot with a slingshot by local boys.
Mustapha’s 2009-2010 journey
Mustapha left the Netherlands at 9 September. In this period a lot of Purple Herons left the breeding areas in The Netherlands. At 10 September he made a short stop in the famous oyster production area near Rochfort. He did not stay for long as we got signals above the Bay of Biscay and over Spain at 11 September. He continued his flight. At 14 September we already received a signal above the vast sand dunes of southern Mauritania. He continued his travel and at 16 September he was already in Gambia close to the river at Georgetown. By 4 October Mustapha had reached Sierra Leone, just two days earlier than in 2008. Mustapha continued his journey and on 12 October was back in Sierra Leone, just outside the village of Baoma in the same spot where he was seen by a team from Wetlands International and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone in February 2009. Mustapha remains close to Baoma into early December.
Mustapha’s 2008-2009 journey
9 May - September 2009 - Mustapha is in the breeding area. 8 May 2009 - Mustapha arrived back at the breeding colony. 5 May 2009 - Over the past few days Mustapha has continued his journey northwards. He has moved around 200km to an area just outside of Montélimar. 3 April 2009 - 30 April 2009 - Mustapha remains near Toulon, feeding at park ponds as well as marine shores in the habour. - see photograph below* 2 April 2009 - Mustapha was the first of the herons to make it into Europe. He was traced to a small city park near Toulon in southern France - see photograph below* 29 March 2009 - He had already reached Algeria. 27 March 2009 - Mustapha started his migration northwards and passed into Mauritania. Early February 2009 - During an expedition to Sierra Leone we visited Baoma to get better impressions about the kind of conditions faced by Mustapha. 3 January 2009 - Mustapha moved near to Baoma in the south eastern part of Sierra Leone. This place is only about 30 kilometres from the non-breeding site used by Gerrit. 8 October 2008 - 2 January 2009 - He moved to another nearby wetland, the Scarceries. 6 October 2008 - Mustapha has made it to the Sierra Leone River Estuary. 18 September 2008 - He stayed at a reservoir in the southern part of Mauritania near to the Senegal River. 14 September 2008 - 15 September 2008 - He reached western Algeria and by 15 September had moved on to Mauritania. 13 September 2008 - Only two days after leaving the Netherlands, Mustapha has already flown over France and on 13 September has sent signals over the sea south of Mallorca in Spain. 11 September 2008 - Mustapha has already started his journey southwards and was in northern France.
*During his journey from Africa, Mustapha had stopped for a month-long stay around Toulon in southern France and we have been sent a photograph of the small city park where he spent much of his time. This was sent to us by ARGOS, the company that sends us the herons' coordinates from the satellites, and provides us with an insight into the habitats used by the herons during their migration.
Toulon city park used by Mustapha (ARGOS).