Updates from our Cuckoos

Since his arrival on his breeding site in Bowland, Larry has been pretty much settled in the area around Stocks Reservoir. During the last four years he has left Britain between June 20 and June 27 - he could be on his way any day now.

During the evening of 17 June we received a series of locations from Lambert's tag that showed he was over the English Channel, 16km (10 miles) offshore of Brighton. We will have to wait until the evening of 19 June to see how far he has travelled. Fingers crossed he will have made landfall in France.

During the evening of 14 June we received a series of locations from Knepp's tag that showed he was in Picardy, northern France. By the early hours of 15 June he had moved a further 152km (94 miles) south. He is currently just over 50km (35 miles) southwest of Paris and just to the east of the town of Vierville. He is the first of our tagged Cuckoos to leave the UK this year.

Carlton II seems to have forsaken Carlton Marshes this year and spent most of his time in the area to the north of Aldeby and west out to Loddon and Oulton Broad in the east. He has ventured as far north as the southern edge of Great Yarmouth. When we last heard from him on 17 June he was on the northern bank of the River Waveney, to the south east of Somerleyton. In 2018 he began his journey south on 2 July, transmitting from southwest France on that day.

Thomas has been pretty faithful to the Cranwich Heath area but he has also ventured further south. Whilst out birdwatching at Lakenheath Fen in May, two members of BTO staff saw a tagged Cuckoo, and looking at the data Thomas has visited the area a few times. However, whilst out with the Cuckoo team on Cranwich Heath we saw him again, determinedly chasing another male Cuckoo and a female. In 2018 he left for Africa on 14 June, so he may not be around the heath much longer.

Robinson is very settled in Sherwood Forest, largely using the area between Edwinstowe and Budby, right in the heart of the forest. Last year he left the forest for Africa on 20 June, it will be interesting to see what date he leaves this year.

Since arriving back Raymond seems to be fairly settled in the area just to the south of the Knepp Estate. However, he is covering a lot of ground and has been as far west as Pulborough and east as far as Hurstpierpont. His most recent location showed that he was almost midway between Dial Post and Partridge Green.

PJ has settled into his territory since arriving back at the end of April. He seems to favour the northwest corner of King's Forest and the Berner's Heath area. During his last three southbound migrations he has left the UK between the 24 June and 3 July, so he is likely to still be in the forest for the next three weeks or so.

Since he has been back in the Forest of Bowland Larry has been moving around his breeding site a lot. Whether this is because he is looking for female Cuckoos, or chasing female Cuckoos we don't really know but he is visiting every corner of his territory. In previous years Larry's departure date for his flight back to Africa have been 27 June, 2015, 24 June 2016, 20 June 2017 and 23 June 2018, so it looks like he will be around the Forest of Bowland for at least a couple of more weeks.

Lambert has been back in the UK for almost a month and during this time he has been moving around the Knepp Estate area. He has ranged as far north as Southwater and as far south as Ashington. In the last week he has spent quite a bit of time in the area between Whitehall and Dial Post.