Updates from our Cuckoos

David has travelled only a small distance since he made the jump across the Congo rainforest block at the end of January. Having been in the location for 25 days now we expect that he has been feeding up and resting, ready to make the next move west along the edge of the forest. By this time last year he was 400km (250 miles) further west,  he then continued to move west over the next month and in late March, made a big move to Ghana. Will he do the same this year? If so we might expect a further westerly movement any time.  

On the afternoon of the 20 February, Chris's tag sent tranmissions from southern Congo but, by early morning on 25 February, he had travelled 930km (580 miles) to reach a location in the  south-west of the Central African Republic. He has now flown right over the block of Congo rainforest, and is very close to it's northern edge. Its the first time we have seen him do this, largely because in previous winters he hasn't travelled so far south, instead choosing the swamp forests of eastern Congo.  He is just 80km (50 miles) south of David, the most northerly tagged Cuckoo, who moved to the edge of the forest at the very end of January. 

It's amazing that we are still gathering data for Chris having first tagged him in spring 2011. We now have three southward autumn migrations and two northward spring migrations for him.  Having taken up a different wintering location this year, it will be really interesting to see whether this changes his return strategy. We are keeping our fingers crossed for his safe return once again to the UK.  

Patch has also moved out of Congo, leaving his position near the two national parks, and is currently in south-east Cameroon, 260km (160 miles) further north, close to the edge of the Boumba Bek National Park.

Whortle has continued north and has left Congo. He is now 645km (401 miles) north-west of Lake Mai and is currently in south-east Cameroon, in the Nki National Park. 

Waller is still in the location in Cameroon , where he has been since early February. We last heard from him around lunch-time on 20 February. He is currently still one of the most northerly Cuckoos, along with David and Chris, who has recently moved north. 

BB has left Congo and as of 24 February was in north-east Gabon, having flown 345km (215 miles) north-west of his last location in Congo. He is now in the north of the Minkébé National Park.

In mid-winter Skinner was our most southerly Cuckoo. He was then the first to make his move north, becoming the most northerly Cuckoo, for a short time. He is now, once again, one of our most southerly Cuckoos (only Derek is further south). Having arrived in Cameroon on 13 January, he has since turned back south and is now back in Gabon, on the outskirts of the Minkébé National Park,  276km (171 miles) south east of his previous location. Clearly, something was not quite to his liking in southern Cameroon.

Livingstone has made a move north. As of 21 February, he was 276km (171 miles) north of his mid-winter site in Gabon and is now in south Cameroon.

Ken is still close to Mount Cameroon, the area he arrived in on 13 February. As he is currently our most westerly Cuckoo, will he be the first to head into West Africa?

On 1st February, the last time we heard from Ken, he was in South East Gabon, close to the border with Congo and one of our most southerly Cuckoos. As of mid-afternoon on 13 February he became our most northerly bird, having moved 812km (504 miles) north-west. He is now just north of Mount Cameroon in south-west Cameroon, having just completed his first leg back to the UK.