Updates from our Cuckoos

Lambert has successfully crossed the English Channel. He appears to have crossed almost due south of his Sussex breeding area and flown over 125km (77 miles) of open water. He is currently 117km (72 miles) south of the Normandy coast and in farmland to the west of Verneuil-sur-Avre. 

Thomas has been pretty faithful to the area of Thetford Forest just to the west of Mundford. He is currently in a forest block just on the southern edge of the village. In 2018 he left the UK on 14 June - when will he leave this year?

Robinson hasn't moved far from Sherwood Forest since he arrived back this spring. He is currently in forest just to the north of Edwinstowe. In 2018 he left Sherwood Forest and the UK on 20 June - he could be on his way any day now.

Since arriving back in the UK Raymond has been on a bit of a wander around Sussex. More recently, however, he has been spending his time on the edge of the Downs just to the north of Portslade and to the east of Steyning. In 2018 Raymond left the UK on 22 June - we could be waving him off any day now.

PJ has been faithful to his breeding site in King's Forest, Suffolk, since he arrived back in the UK. This is the fourth summer he has spent in this area since being fitted with a satellite tag. During his last three migrations he has left the UK between 24 June and 2 July - it will be interesting to see what date he leaves this year.

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.