Updates from our Cuckoos

Lyster hasn't moved any further, a transmission on the 24 March shows and he is now the most easterly Cuckoo and the only one remaining in Ghana.  Perhaps we will see further movements from him soon?

We received a transmission from Chris' tag in the early hours of yesterday morning which showed no further movement since he hopped over the border almost two weeks ago. We expect all four Cuckoos will be likely to attempt to cross the Sahara soon so watch this space!

We haven't received any further transmissions since the 18 March for Martin.  The weather there is currently warm and wet with thunderstorms forecast for tonight and more rain and cloud tomorrow. The weather is forecast to change at the end of the week. Could the onset of sunshine and light winds from the south provide ideal conditions for his next move?

Kasper's tag transmitted yesterday and showed that he has remained at his position within Ivory Coast. There have been no further movements from the other Cuckoos so he remains the most westerly - for now at least!

Sometime between 17 March and the early hours of this morning (22 March) Lyster moved 20km (12 miles) SSW. This took him over an arm of the Volta and into Digya National Park, a short movement took place at the same time as Kasper’s jump to Côte d’Ivoire. Both of these Cuckoos moved towards higher rainfall areas, albeit in different directions and for different distances. Lyster’s shorter movement was directly towards where more heavily wooded habitat could be found.

Sometime between the evening of 18 March and the early hours of 21 March, Kasper has moved 500km (304 miles) almost exactly due west into Ivory Coast. He passed Chris and Martin on his way and is now the most westerly Cuckoo. He is 21km (13.5 miles) south-east of the city of Bouaké, the second largest city in Ivory Coast.  He is now just 140km (87 miles) and 185km (115 miles) west of Martin and Chris respectively.

We regret to announce the death of Clement the Cuckoo, last heard from in Cameroon on 25 February. Temperature data transmitted at the time via satellite suggested that he was no longer alive and we must now assume that he will not be returning to Norfolk for the summer. The other four Cuckoos are in The Ivory Coast and Ghana.

It is amazingly fortunate that all five Cuckoos survived as long as they did. Interestingly, the only information we had about a ringed Cuckoo in Africa, prior to this winter, was of a bird of exactly the same age as Clement that was killed by man (presumably for the pot) in Lembe in Cameroon (just 100 miles due north of Clement's last position) on 30th January 1930. Read more about how Clement has helped to advance our knowledge of Cuckoo migration.

Still no transmissions from Clement's tag.

Locations received for Lyster on the 17 March showed that he is still settled on the north-west shore of Lake Volta, Ghana.  

Kasper's last transmission on the 18 March showed that he has remained on the north-west shore of Lake Volta, Ghana.