Updates from our Cuckoos

New updates from Calypso's tag last night showed that he was within a stone's throw of his tagging location at Wildgoose nature reserve in Worcestershire. He was tagged here on 19 May 2021 and stayed until 23 June so we expect him to remain on site for the next six weeks or so. Bravo Calypso!

Daniel has flown 843 km (524 miles) since our last update, taking him from Central France to mid Wales. A new update received early this morning showed that he was just north of Welshpool, just 30 km (18.6 miles) from his tagging location on the shores of Lake Vyrnwy. He left his breeding grounds on 3 July last year so we expect him to stay for around 8 weeks. So if you are visiting RSPB's wonderful Lake Vyrnwy reserve or the surrounding area over the next couple of months, listen out for Cuckoo Daniel!

We last heard from Daniel on the evening of 2 May, by which time he was 50 km (31 miles) NW of Clermont-Ferrand in Central France. 

Calypso spent a few days on the Island of Oléron off the west coast of France but new updates that came in between 07:50 and 08:00 yesterday morning showed him 630 km (390 miles) north, passing to the west of Chippenham. His last update which arrived at lunchtime yesterday showed him passing to the west of Tewkesbury. Another 20km and he'll be back at Wild Goose Nature Reserve in Worcestershire where he was tagged on 19 May 2021.

Victor II has flown the final 365 km (227 miles) from Cheshire to his breeding grounds in Scotland. By 11.15 this morning he was back on the shores of Loch Katrine where he was tagged on 19 May last year. He left on 13 June last year so he may only be here for 6 weeks or so before setting off again. 

With five tagged Cuckoos closing in on the UK, it looked like the first to return would be Ellis, PJ or Victor II. New updates received on Monday 18 April showed that Ellis had held on to his early lead and became the first of our tagged Cuckoos to make it back to the UK. He had flown the remaining 1,040 Km (646 miles) from his last location in France to his breeding grounds in Scotland. He is now back on the shores of Loch Arklet in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park where he will stay for the next 6-12 weeks or so. Bravo Ellis!

Calypso has had a busy morning, flying approximately 467 km (290 miles) from his last location in northern Spain, across the Bay of Biscay to the western coast of France. He is now on the Island of Oleron due west of Rochefort. The Moeze Oleron nature reserve on and around the island is a protected area for migratory birds so Calypso has chosen a great place to stop. 

New updates received this morning show that Victor II has flown 575 km (357 miles) north from his last location in northern France to England. He has spent the last few hours close to the town of Winsford in Cheshire. So if you are in or around Winsford today and you hear a Cuckoo it could well be Victor II! He has approximately 365 km to fly before reaching his breeding grounds in the Trossachs. 

Over the last few days Victor II has made good progress north, leaving northern Spain and progressing up through France. By Tuesday evening he has reached Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south western France. He didn't hang arorund though and by midnight last night he had flown a further 255 km (159 miles) north and was in the Perche National Park between Normandy and the Loire Valley. When we next hear from him, will he be back in the UK? Stay tuned to find out!

New updates that came in at around 6am this morning show that JAC has flown the remaining 582 km (362 miles) from France back to his breeding grounds in north Wales. The most recent update showed that he was within a mile of his tagging location. So if over the next few weeks you find yourself in the World's End area of Denbighshire, between Llangollen and Wrexham, be sure to listen out for the call of the Cuckoo, it might just be JAC!