Updates from our Cuckoos

A location received during the morning of the 31 March showed that Coo had flown 401km (249 miles) west and was in Ivory Coast. Another location received from him during the evening of 2 April showed that he was still close to the area he arrived in a few days earlier and was just south of the town of Boussikouamikro-Bongue and in an area of quite wet forest. It might not be too long before he attempts his desert crossing.

A location received from Vigilamus's tag during the morning of 30 March showed that he had left Ghana and crossed into Ivory Coast. He didn't hang around, two days later a series of locations showed that he had crossed the Sahara in one non-stop 3,117km (1,937 miles) flight, and was in Algeria on the northern edge of the desert just south of the town of Sidi Boutouchent.

As if that wasn't enough, two days later a couple of poor quality locations showed that he had crossed the Mediterranean and was in western Spain, in the Sierra Del Toro mountains, 515km (320 miles) north west of his last location in Algeria, and he didn't stop here. By the morning of 4 April he had moved another 208km (129 miles) north and was in a wooded area just south of Castejon de Valdejasa, his current location. This is the earliest that one of our tagged Cuckoos has crossed the Sahara, since the project began in 2011.

Locations received from Vigilamus during the early morning of 23 March show that he is still in the general area he arrived in on 9 March.

On 22 March we recieved a series of location from Stanley's tag that showed he had left the banks of the River Komoé. He has flown 78km (48 miles) west and is now hot on the heels of Peckham, the only tagged Cuckoo currently ahead of him.

Since arriving in Ivory Coast Peckham seems fairly settled. A series of poor quality locations recieved from his tag on 22 March show that he is still in the same area that he arrived in on 8 March. He is currently ahead of all of our other tagged Cuckoos, but only just; Stanley is only 17km (10 miles) behind him.

A series of good locations received from Larry's tag on 22 March showed that he was still in Cameroon. However, he has moved 51km (31 miles) north, and closer to the border with Central African Republic. He is currently in an area of riverine forest 6km (4 miles) from the border.

A good location received from Disco Tony on 13 March showed that he was still in Central African Republic but had moved 78km (48 miles) north, presumably in search of a better feeding area. It may not ne too long before he begins to head west.

Since arriving in Ghana on 5 March Coo seems fairly settled, presumably resting and feeding up for the next leg of his journey home. We last heard from him during the early morning of 24 March, showing that he had moved 52km (32 miles) east and back towards Lake Volta. He is currently close to a large tributary on the northwest edge of the lake.

David has left the Central African Republic and is on his way back. During the evening of 22 March we recieved a good location from David's tag that showed he had overflown Cameroon and was in southern Nigeria, close to the Cross River. He is 900km (560 miles) west of his last stopover.

Locations received from David during the evening of 15 March show that he has moved north, flying 445km (276 miles) into the Central African Republic. He is currently in the same area as two other satellite tagged Cuckoos, Disco Tony and Larry. There has been recent rain in the area and there might be a good source of food that all three of them have homed in on. All three could head west any day now and join Peckham, Stanley, Coo and Vigilamus at the West African stopover.