Updates from our Cuckoos

Ash is also undertaking the massive Sahara crossing and signals show he appears to be getting through the distance as he heads towards the northern coast of Africa. From his last position in Ivory Coast he has covered  2360km (1465 miles) and is close to Morocco. 

Over the weekend we received signals to show that Chris had embarked upon his desert crossing and was on his way north over Mali, 1345km (835 miles) north of his last location in Ghana. We will have to wait for further signals to see whether he has made it safely across.

From Morocco, Derek had continued on a further 1000km (600 miles) to reach Spain, settling in an area north of the Sienna Morena Mountains, by 15 April. He was joined here on the same day by Stanley, who had travelled north-west from his location near Granada and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are now only about 7km (4.5 miles) apart. 

Transmissions received yesterday show that David has completed his Sahara crossing and made it to Spain, completing a 3350km (2,000 mile) journey from his last location in Siera Leone on 7 April. He is now in the Extremadura region.

In the first year we tracked David (2012/13) he returned to the UK on 27 April but due to cold and wet conditions turned around and retreated to France, returning again on 9 May when conditions had imprvoed. In 2013/14 he arived in Spain much later on 28 April and didn't return to the UK until the 14 May. What will he do this year, especially given his earlier than normal return date to Spain?  

Fred has moved 1320km (820 miles) west from Nigeria and by the evening of the 16 was in Ivory Coast, just 14km  (8 miles) from Emworthy's location. 

Dudley remained in the area of the Pyranees until at least the 13 April and was crossing over France during the 15.  Signals received around lunchtime on the 16 revealed he had made it back to the UK and was close to his breeding grounds in Sherwood Forest, where he was originally tagged. He becomes the second of our tagged Cuckoos to make it back to the UK.  

We last received a signal from Hennah's tag in late Februay from Sierra Leone, from where he had moved to on the 10 February. No further signals were received and we could tell the tag was not charging well so imagine our surprise when on the 15 April Hennah reappeared in the UK, north-east of Bournemouth, becoming the first Cuckoo to return home!

BTO scientist in charge of the project, Chris Hewson, explained that this lack of signals over the desert, when we might expect good exposure to the sun,  could be down to the Sahara dust on the solar panels which meant the tag was unable to charge and send a signal. Exposure to rain later would then have washed this off and allowed the tag to transmit his recent location.  

New signals from Ash's tag show that he is still in Ivory Coast. Having moved north-west of  Bouake he then back-tracked south-east to his previous location. 

Jake reappeared in mid-March and was in Benin but it has now been several weeks since we heard anything from his tag. Could he be on the move?

We hadn't heard from Chester for several weeks but the latest signal received shows he is still in the same area of southern Nigeria and has yet to move further west.