Updates from our Cuckoos

BB and Chance both remain in the area around Loch Katrine, Trossachs National park, that they were tagged in last year.

Transmissions from the last few days show that all four Cuckoos which have returned to their breeding grounds are still in their respective areas. They are likely to remain in and around these areas looking for breeding opportunities for at least the next month.We now assume Lloyd has perished in Morocco as there is no reason for him to remain in his current position for so long. Last year, the earliest Cuckoo to leave the UK was Chris, on the 11 June, while David and BB left on 18 and Chance on the 22 June. Wallace, one of the birds tagged in Scotland last year, was the last to leave, transmitting from outside the UK on 23 July, just one day later than the last bird, Lyster, in 2011. 

Just a few miles now separate Chance and BB, who are both in the area of Loch Katrine. The weather in Scotland has been less favourable than in the south but it is currently sunny and pleasant though wet conditions are forecast over the next few days. 

Signals received late last night, 1 May, reveal that BB has now joined Chance back at Loch Katrine, having completed the last 415km (260 miles) from the final location we received as he left his previous stopping place near Nottingham. 

BB is the second of our tagged Cuckoos to make it back to the UK, following fellow Scottish Cuckoo, Chance.  From his position in the Centre Region of France on 27 April, BB has travelled 675km (420 miles), crossing the English Channel to arrive in the UK on April 29. Transmissions show that he was 10km (9 miles) south-east of Nottingham during the day but left to the north during the evening - according to the sensor data, he started his flight at about 2130hrs. It is a further 415km (258 miles) back to Loch Katrine so BB could be back there by the time his tag resumes transmissions late on Wednesday - being so close to his previous breeding location we would expect him to continue onwards fairly rapidly to arrive as early as possible. He may face competition for females from Chance who has a head start on him!

Early on 27 April, BB popped up in Centre region of France having moved 940km (585 miles) NNE from the location in central Spain where he was last recorded on 22 April. This placed him only 25km (16 miles) SW of David, who arrived from the NW that morning!

BB has successfully completed his desert crossing and, like Chance and David before him, continued on into Spain. At the time of the first location at 20minutes before midnight last night (17/18 April), he was about 45km (28 miles) due N of Sevilla. Further locations show he travelled a further 290km (180 miles)NNE over the next 5.5 hours before probably stopping around 105km (65 miles) west of Madrid.

Judging from BB’s trajectory during this transmission period and during his desert crossing, he may have taken a route around the west end of the High Atlas and along the Moroccan coast, like David, or possibly travelled through a pass at the western end of the mountains.

BB is still south-west of Madrid but could push north any day now. We last heard from him on 22 April so could well get an update early evening on 24 April. He has been in this general area for five days now so could make his move further north anytime soon.

A series of locations received yesterday evening (Monday 15 April) showed that BB was heading across the desert in northern Mauritania, about 460km (286 miles) E of David’s last position. Over the course of 5 hours he travelled approximately 160km (100 miles) more or less due N. If he follows a similar route to Chance, around the eastern end of the High Atlas, BB would have another 1,000km (620 miles) to travel before reaching the Atlas Mountains and 1,400km (870 miles) to the Mediterranean coast. If he went to the west of the High Atlas, he would come to hospitable conditions at Agadir on the Moroccan coast in 700km (435 miles). One possible advantage  of stopping over so far west in Africa would have been to reduce the desert crossing by 25% or so (from around 1,900km to around 1,400km) by taking a route west of the High Atlas and along the Moroccan coast, so we had wondered whether David & BB would  do this.