Updates from our Cuckoos

We are still receiving locations for Dudley but the data shows that his temperature is fluctuating, suggesting that we have lost him and that his tag, whilst still charging, is reflecting the ups and downs in the daily temperature rather than Dudley's body temperature.

Dudley is the first of our tagged Cuckoos to make it to Africa this year, transmitting from southern Algeria yesterday, on the evening of 9 July. He has travelled over 1870km (1160 miles) from his location in Spain on 3 July. 

Last year the first Cuckoo in Africa was Meavy, transmitting on the very same date and followed a few days later by Dudley and Whortle who transmitted on the 12 July.  In previous years the earliest transmission dates from Africa have been a bit later on13 July 2011, 16 July 2012 and 18 of July 2013.

Dudley is leading the way south and is currently our most southerly Cuckoo. He is in northern Spain, just northeast of Cantaviejo. He arrived here in the early hours of 27 June.

Nine Cuckoos (plus Hennah whose tag has still not sent a good quality location) have now left the UK and seven of these (plus Hennah) are currently in France. The most recent three to have transmitted from France are new Welsh Cuckoo 146760, and Sherwood Cuckoos Jake and Dudley. Jake is currently in Burgundy, while 146760 is further south in the Auvergne region and Dudley is even further south in Toulouse.

It's interesting to note that Dudley left about a week later this year compared to 2014 while Jake left two weeks earlier.

Dudley remained in the area of the Pyranees until at least the 13 April and was crossing over France during the 15.  Signals received around lunchtime on the 16 revealed he had made it back to the UK and was close to his breeding grounds in Sherwood Forest, where he was originally tagged. He becomes the second of our tagged Cuckoos to make it back to the UK.  

Dudley transmitted from south-west France, close to the Pyrenees, on 11 April. He is well ahead of the other tagged birds but could now spend time recovering from his 500km flight from central Spain. Will he be the fisrt back to the UK?

It looks like Dudley's move to southern Mali on the morning of 6 April was indeed the start of his migration! Between then and around 10am on 8 April he flew 2360km (1470 miles) crossing Mali and Algeria to reach northern Morocco. He didn't stop there though and crossed over into southern Spain by late afternoon of the same day becoming the first of this year's tagged Cuckoos to return to Europe. Further low quality signals indicate he has continued north 330km (205 miles) and was south of Madrid just after midnight this morning.