Updates from our Cuckoos

Cuthbert appears to be doing well, and at the time of posting, is in western Cameroon. He is currently in the lush tropical environs of Cameroon’s largest river, the Sanaga.

Having made steady progress down into Western Sahara, Cuthbert has progressed in earnest. Soon after our last update, he swiftly covered a further 1,125 km (700 miles) of open desert and made his way into southern Mauritania.

After a brief stop there, he continued his flight south and crossed into eastern Senegal just after 10.30pm on August 30. He has spent the last few days in the vegetated savannah of the Matam region and just to the east close to the Ferlo Sud Wildlife Reserve, which is home to a number of IUCN Red List species including Golden Nightjar and Arabian Bustard.      

Cuthbert is not hanging about now and has pressed straight on across the Gulf of Cadiz to Africa.

At 9am this morning he was in the Sahara, 42 km (26 miles) south east of the City of Samara in Western Sahara, having flown 1,791 km (1,113 miles) since leaving northern Spain!

Hopefully he has built up sufficient fat reserves to carry him safely across to the other side of the Sahara.  There were 30-40mph north-easterly winds in this area yesterday which should help Cuthbert along nicely to Senegal. Fingers crossed! 

Cuthbert has finally left Spain. Over the last few days he has flown 300 miles south and is now just west of the village of Lousal in the Alentejo Province of southern Portugal.

It looks most likely that Cuthbert will cross to Morocco and proceed south across the Sahara along the western edge.

After retreating from Portugal to Spain, Cuthbert has flown 300 miles south and is now in southern Portugal.

He is just west of the village of Lousal in the Alentejo Province of Portugal. It looks most likely that Cuthbert will cross from Portugal to Morocco and proceed south across the Sahara along the western edge via Western Sahara and Mauritania.

After leaving the Basque region a few days ago, Cuthbert flew 380 km (236 miles) south, to an area just west of Madrid, in the province of Ávila, Castile and León.

Curiously, he then headed north again, covering another 380 km (236 miles) before arriving near the coast in the province of Asturias! He then headed a further 230 km (142 miles) south-west, and is now on the Atlantic coast close to the Portuguese border.

After a brief stop around the coastal town of Étretat, Cuthbert has covered a further 760 km (472 miles) as he cut across western France toward the Spanish border.

He is now in the Basque Country, approximately 16 km (10 miles) south of the resort town of San Sebastian.

Cuthbert has finally set off on his epic migration south!

Updates received from his tag this morning show that he has flown 334 km (208 miles) south-west. This journey has taken him from his breeding grounds in the Norfolk Broads, across the English Channel to France. He is now close to the town of Etretat in Normandy, famous for its amazing cliffs and rock formations.