Updates from our Cuckoos

Viator has not continued on from his last transmitted location in Sudan and we think he has perished while making his desert crossing, arguably one of the biggest challenges the Cuckoos face on their migration.  It could be that the cold wet summer we have experienced has had some knock on effect on his migration preparations. In 2012 when it was also very wet we saw a similar effect on the progress of the tagged Cuckoos.   

A further signal from Viator’s tag shows that he had continued his desert crossing and made it as far as Sudan by the afternoon of the 28 July. 

Two of our Cuckoos, Viator and Vigilamus, tagged in the North Yorkshire Moors, transmitted from Africa on the morning of 26 July. Viator appears to have taken a slightly more easterly route and has travelled to Egypt, a country which only one other Cuckoo, Lloyd tagged in Wales, has ventured to throughout the years we have been tracking Cuckoos. A poor quality signal indicates Viator made the 2100km (1305 miles) leap to Egypt from a location in Greece. 

Vigilamus last transmitted from close to the French/Italian border in southern France on the 21 July, a 2400km  (1490 miles) away from his new location.  

Cuckoo 146756, or Viator, as he is now known, continued on his migration and is currently on the coast of Croatia, close to Stanista.

Two of the three Cuckoos tagged in the North Yorkshire Moors have left the country. 146756's tag sent low quality transmissions which indicated he was crossing the Channel on 22 June and by 24 June he had travelled 965km (600 miles) to Italy and was west of Venice.  

Vigilamus hadn't made it quite as far and was in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France by 24 June, 620km (390 miles) from his last location in Yorkshire. He appears to be travelling further south again today so he may soon have made it as far as 146756.