Updates from our Cuckoos

Cuckoo 134955 has finally crosed the desert. He remained in Morroco until around 28 July but by 1 August he he was on his way south. Signals received on 2 August show he had made it safely across the expanse and was in Senegal. 

Signals received yesterday show that Cuckoo 134955 is now in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Dudley, one of the other birds tagged in Sherwood has finished his desert crossing and made it to Nigeria while Cuckooo 134957 is much further north in Belgium. 

While we have three Cuckoos currently touring in France (Walpole, Emsworthy and 134955) there are now just two tagged birds which remain in the UK; Derek and Gowk. While the actual Tour De France will have departed the country soon, it could be a while before we see these Cuckoos move on. Last year Derek didn't leave the UK until 17 July but the latest departure we have seen since the beginning of the project was Scottish Cuckoo Patch, who left on 26 July last year. 

Waller and Chester have remained in the same areas of France in which they first transmitted, close to Reims and Le Mans respectively, as has 134955 who is a little further south. Ash, meanwhile seems to be heading south despite being the latest of the four to arrive.  

With three un-named birds left we are letting you choose what to name one of our Sherwood Cuckoos!  Anyone who sponsors a Cuckoo before the end of June will be entered in to a draw. We’ll then pick one entry at random and will contact the winner who can then suggest a suitable name*. Find out how you could name a Cuckoo. 

There has been a flurry of activity recently and 134955 is another of our Cuckoos to have left the UK in the last few days, along wth Emsworthy.  By 16 June he was in West Sussex and two days later he was 470km (290 miles) further south and in Central France! It looks like it is the end of the summer for many of our Cuckoos as they begin the journey to their wintering grounds. 

The first of three Cuckoos taggged in Sherwood Forest, 134952 was caught flying between young alders near Shirebrook, after having failed to catch three cuckoos flying over our nets at Budby Common earlier that morning. The second two birds, 134955 and 134957 were trapped at Sherwood Pines the following morning, the second bird flying into the nets just as we released the first!