Updates from our Cuckoos

With no further transmission from Kasper's tag we have had to accept that his journey has come to an end.

It has now been forty-eight days since we heard anything from Kasper, the longest period he has gone missing for. Although he has gone missing before, only to reappear, we fear that this time we have lost him for good. We can't say what has happened to him. He might have perished in the same poor weather that Martin experienced, or his tag might have failed completely. He might even be back in the Norfolk Broads with Lyster. We just don't know.

 We still haven't recieved anything from Kasper. Whilst it is looking grim, we still haven't given up hope.

 We still haven't heard from Kasper, and whilst we are beginning to fear the worst we still haven't given up hope. On January 6, whilst in southern Congo, we lost Kasper for a month before he popped up on 7 February in the north west tip of Congo, close to the border with Cameroon. 

No further data have been received from Kasper's tag, however we have not given up hope. The last, partial, signal we received from him (11th April) showed a low charge on his tag. It is possible that, like Lyster before him, he is spending some time in Algeria foraging for food before attempting the Mediterranean crossing. His solar-powered tag would therefore not charge up if he is in the undergrowth. We hope that once he has moved on, and his tag has had a chance to charge, we will see Kasper pop up soon.

 No further transmissions have been received from Kasper, who was last heard from in Algeria. We have heard from Lyster, who has remained in Algeria for a number of days after his Sahara crossing, so hopefully Kasper is doing the same and we will hear from him soon.

We have had no further transmissions from Kasper's tag since the last 8 days ago but he has now been joined by Lyster in Algeria. There is around 350km ( 225 miles) between them.

There was a brief message from Kasper over-night but without any location information. The battery charge was about one third full and it's cool and wet at the moment in the uplands of Algeria so this could explain the lack of signals.

Over the Easter period we had Kasper crossing the Grand Erg Oriental Desert but frustratingly we didn't know if he made it! However on the 9 April we found him in the north-west Atlas mountains in Algeria in the Foret de Charef. This typical Atlas habitat (see http://www.panoramio.com/photo/9456326) looks ideal staging habitat.

After 12 days with no messages from Kasper’s tag, positions received in the morning of 7 April showed he was in northern Algeria, having almost completed his desert crossing. He was moving north across the Grand Erg Occidental Desert, taking a path midway between those taken by Martin and Chris, heading more or less straight towards Algiers. Later today he should become the third of the Cuckoos to complete the northwards desert crossing.