A little less than two months have passed since two Mediterranean Shags, named Ari and Šime, were equipped with GPS telemetry devices. This time we present the map of Šime ‘s movements in October. Unfortunately, the young individual Ari died soon after it was equipped with the device. We are waiting for information about the cause of its death, which will be given by competent veterinary service. Šime, however, is in good shape and very active. Most of the time it is swimming around the cape of Debeli rtič, where it also spends the night on the buoys of maricultures. It regularly makes its way along the Slovenian coast all the way to the vicinity of the towns of Strunjan and Piran. It crossed the border of the Slovenian territorial waters only a few times nearby the cape of Debeli rtič, when it neared the Italian marina in San Rocco. It fishes mostly in the shallow waters near coast, alone or in company of several other conspecifics or even individuals of other species, like Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). Šime is deffinitely older than one year, because its feathers are completely dark, but it’s not yet adult. Its sexually mature conspecifics at present already have shining black breeding plumage with crest on the head, while Šime hasn’t.
More then two thirds of Shags, which were summering in Slovenian sea, has departed by the middle of November. Many, mainly adults, have gone back to their Croatian nesting sites, where they will soon start breeding. It is not known where the immature individuals are roaming during the winter when the adults are breeding. Only a few of them stays in Slovenia – maybe Šime will be among them?