Their loose association lasted all day; they crossed into Moroccan airspace around 2pm on the 19th March. In crossing the desert Ozzie had averaged 385 kilometres a day for four days, without food. That night they both roosted on a cliff in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Next morning the older Osprey was quick to leave the roost. He hadn't eaten for days either. But he had done this journey five times before and experience told him that breakfast wouldn't be long in coming. Ozzie watched him carefully and then began to follow. The flight led to a long winding reservoir in a steep sided valley. The older bird was now looking intently, and after only a few moments dropped in to secure a fish. Ozzie began his run and taking three sweeps of the lake finally found a good target. A simple plunge from low level brought him food at last.
The long desert flight had exhausted Ozzie and he spent the next seven days in a more leisurely migration up the winding valleys of the Atlas Mountains, feeding in small reservoirs or in the rivers that crossed the high plains, crossing at the highest passes along with other migrating raptors. There were more each day, Black Kites, Marsh Harriers, Booted and Short-toed Eagles all beginning to congregate at Africa's north-western corner. On 26th March Ozzie had descended from the mighty Atlas and the Mediterranean coast was in view.
In the late afternoon sunshine it sparkled. The skies around Ozzie were full of big birds, all converging on the short sea crossing out of Africa and into Europe. Along with the kites and eagles flocks of White Storks were arriving from the south. It was late in the day and the air was cooling, there was no lift. The ideal conditions for the crossing had passed. A couple of kites moved out across the straits, but their resolve faltered and they turned back. Mostly the birds circled or dropped back to the hillside above the town of Ceuta. Ozzie did the same even though a sea crossing as short as this wouldn't present him with too many problems.