Updates from our Cuckoos

Around lunch time on 16 April Livingstone left Ivory Coast and began his long journey north. On the evening of the 16 April he stopped for a couple of hours in the southern Sahara before continuing on northward. By 5pm on the 19 April he successfully completed the desert crossing and was in Algeria just south of Beni Rached, 3,052 km (1,896 miles) north-west of his position in Ivory Coast. He is now well positioned for the crossing of the Mediterranean, something he could do any day now!

Signals received yesterday show that Chris had moved on from northern Spain was in Normandy, France. We received a series of signals which showed him moving around the area of Omaha beach. Omaha was one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings.  However he didn't spend too long on the D-day cliff faces and later signals show him in the English Channel. He is on his way and could be back anytime!  

After completing his desert crossing around the 16 April, BB continued on from Algeria and by the 18 April was a further 685km (425 miles) further north and in Spain, at a location just north of Madrid.  He didn't stop here though and has continued north to the edge of the Cantabrian mountains. He is about 100km (60 miles) south of the  Bay of Biscay. 

Derek was still in Ivory Coast on the 14 April but the next good signal we received on the 21 April showed that he had been busy during that time, having crossed the Sahara desert and reached the Atlas Mountains in Algeria. He leaves behind Ken, who is the only tagged Cuckoo now with a desert crossing ahead of him. 

Patch was still in Senegal on 16 April but by the evening of the late afternoon of 17 April he was in Morocco in the southern region of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira, part of the Western Sahara. From this westerly point, he changed direction and headed a further 1000km in a north-easterly direction (620 miles), flying over western Algeria by midday on 18 April and then heading north, towards the Middle Atlas mountains, and back in to Morocco by the morning of 19 April.

There must have been little time to rest as by morning on 21 April he was already 780km (485 miles) further north, having crossed the Mediteranean Sea to reach Valencia, Spain. In the five days since leaving Senegal, he covered at least 3440km (2140 miles)!

David has crossed the desert from his very westerly position near Dakar. Signals received on the late afternoon of  18 April showed he was mid-crossing, 1560km (990 miles) from his previous location, and in Morocco in the southern half of the region of Guelmin-Es Semara which forms part of the Western Sahara.  He continued on a further 1000km (624 miles) and by evening on 20 April he was in northern Morocco in the Middle Atlas, part of the Atlas mountain range. 

Whortle's tag sent signals from just inside the border of Portugal on 17 April, close to  Almeida, in the Guarda region which borders Spain. He has remained in this location since then. 

Skinner remained in France until at least April 17 but early on 19 April he was crossing the Bay of Biscay, reaching Brittany a few hours later. He appears to have spent at least 8 hours there in the commune of  La Forêt-Fouesnant. The tag next transmitted at lunch time on the 21 April revealing that Skinner was back in the UK, close to Northampton, and the first of this year's tagged Cuckoos to arrive safely back in the UK!

Last year, our first Cuckoo back to the UK was Chance, arriving on 26 April. This is the first year we have tracked Skinner so we do not know whether he is a bird that arrives early back to the UK or whether milder weather has encouraged an early return this year. Having rested close to Northampton overnight, by the morning of the 22 he was on his way again and at 5am he was close to Whitlingham Broad, Norfolk, the site where he was tagged last May.