Updates from our Cuckoos

A strong transmission from Lyster at 08.50 on Wednesday 7 December shows that he is still around 80km south of Clement in the Congo Rainforest.

Having been last to arrive in the rainforest, a message from Clement received at 03.06 on Thursday 8 December shows him settled just north of Lyster in Congo.

We received a weak transmission from Martin at 14.49 on Tuesday 6 December that placed him still in the northern Savannah, on the northern edge of the Congo Rainforest.

Kasper is still the most southerly Cuckoo. A transmission received at 08.36 on Monday 28 November shows him in the area north of Brazzaville, Congo, where he has been since 23 October.

Lyster is still in Congo, close to Ewo. He has been in in this area since 8 November. Lyster and Clement were tagged within 80km of each other when they were tagged in East Anglia. Both took the western route around the Mediterranean, and through West Africa to arrive in Congo. Both are now just 82km apart.

On 23rd November we received a transmission from Clement showing that he had moved 224km (134miles) south-east into Congo. This movement puts him just 82km (51miles) north of Lyster. Both Clement and Lyster took the western route through Spain to North Africa, and then flew down the western edge of the Sahara before heading east and then finally south east to get to Congo.
When the tags were fitted in the UK, Clement and Lyster were 76km (48miles) apart.
By 26th November he had moved a further 25km (15 miles) ESE to an area of forest along a river.
 

Since the 10 October Chris has been in Congo, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. A transmission received on Sunday 27th November shows that he is still in the same area.

A transmission received at 04.11 on Sunday 27 November shows Martin still in Central African Republic close to the edge of the Congo rainforest. He has been in this area since the 27 August. It will be interesting to see if he follows the other cuckoos and moves further south during the next few weeks.

It was beginning to look like Clement was settled in Nigeria and that he might not head further south. However, at 19.42 on Friday evening (18 November) he transmitted from the northern edge of Minkebe National Park, Gabon, and by 09.00 this morning was just north of the Equator, between the Ivindo and Mwagne National Parks. Since leaving Nigeria on Friday he has travelled 1,215km. He was the first tagged cuckoo to leave the UK but the last to reach the vast Congo Rainforest.

Lyster last transmitted on the 10 November and we are expecting another transmission soon. He was still close to Ewo on the 10th.