Filter by Cuckoo

Updates from our Cuckoos

Read the latest updates from our Cuckoos on their epic migration between the UK and tropical Africa, or track their movements in real-time on our Cuckoo migration map.

  • If you enjoy these updates, please consider sponsoring a Cuckoo. Sponsors receive special updates about their chosen Cuckoo in the Cuckoo e-newsletter. 

At last! Lyster is on the move

25 Jul 2011

After being in the same place at Reedham in the east of England, we were seriously beginning to wonder if Lyster was OK, or whether he had died and the tag was lying in the open and still transmitting!

Our first indication of any movement was at 23:37 on the 22nd July. Earlier in the day he was still at Reedham, but this was a poor fix and at the time we thought that this was a spurious point. However on reflection this fix, which put him over the sea just to the east of London, was probably true and we think he left Norfolk that evening.

We next pick up his story on the 25 July at 08:30 in the Limousin region of central France, approximately 30km SW of Limoges. As with the other Cuckoos he is staging in a region of mixed farmland and woodland. He does not appear to be migrating and may stay here a few days before moving on again. He has taken the most westerly movement out of the UK of any of the five Cuckoos so far. Will he join Clement by going through Spain into West Africa or follow the remaining three to Italy and then down into Central Africa?

For how much longer?

22 Jul 2011

Lyster is still languishing in Norfolk. Having remained so long on the breeding grounds, it will be interesting to see whether he compensates with a fast migration when he finally leaves.

Lyster fattens up

18 Jul 2011
Lyster’s tag is not charging well in the current cloudy and wet Norfolk weather so we have not had an updated position. Having apparently put so much into the breeding season, Lyster is likely to be in need of a period of rest and fattening before starting his migration but the weather is likely to prevent him moving off for the time-being at least….

Nothing new from Lyster

15 Jul 2011

Lyster's tag  has just started up and shows he is in the vicinity of Reedham, making the most of the breeding season.

Lyster still here

13 Jul 2011

A location received in the early hours of this morning (13 July) placed Lyster very close to Reedham. Surely he must be nearly ready to join the other Cuckoos on migration?

Lyster reluctant to leave

11 Jul 2011
Lyster appears to still be in Norfolk, in the Reedham / Loddon area, although on the last ‘on’ period of his tag we didn’t receive any accurate locations. He could start his migration this week.

Lyster still on breeding territory

08 Jul 2011
As of the evening of Tuesday (5 July) Lyster was still in the Reedham area, several fixes putting him very close to Reedham village itself. His tag has just started transmitting this morning (8 July) and the first positions suggest he is still in the same area. Dave Leech (BTO staff member) found a freshly laid Cuckoo’s egg in a Reed Warbler’s nest earlier this week, so there may still be some mating opportunities for Lyster – we would expect him to set off on migration within the next week or so though.

Lyster's last fling?

04 Jul 2011

Lyster remains in Broadland and a good quality fix on 2 July put him just to the north of Raveningham. He is the last remaining tagged Cuckoo left in the UK.

Lyster last to leave

30 Jun 2011

On Tuesday afternoon, Lyster was spending time on the Loddon side of the Yare valley – several accurate locations in the evening place him adjacent to Hardley floods.

Lyster spotted at Hardley Marshes

27 Jun 2011

Lyster is still in the Reedham area – however, he is now also spending some time about 5km (3 miles) to the south-west at Hardley Marshes near Loddon. We had accurate fixes for him there late last week and on Sunday evening Andy Jarrett reported a sighting of him here.

Pages

Related content