Patch on his way - 09 Oct 2013

Patch is the latest Cuckoo to make a big movement southwards. From Chad, where he remained until at least 4 October, he travelled around 1000km (600 miles) and by the early hours of 9 October was in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is currently just over the border from the Central African Republic's capital, Bangui.

Patch leaves Lake Chad - 03 Oct 2013

By the afternoon of 26 September, Patch had left Lake Chad in a south-easterly direction, travelling around 255km (160 miles) and venturing into the Chari- Baguirmi region of Chad. By the 27 September however he had travelled 70km (45 miles) northwards and was close to the Hadjer-Lamis region. Chance currently remains at the lake. 

Patch at Lake Chad - 09 Sep 2013
We continued to receive signals from Patch’s tag through the evening of 4 September and into 5 September as he travelled south in Niger. The next signal, and the first of good quality, was received on the afternoon of 6 September and showed Patch was in the Yobe region of Nigeria, northeast of Potiskum and had finished his desert crossing. From Italy on 2 September, Patch had travelled 3044km (1890 miles). 
 
From this new position, Patch then headed south-east 135km (83 miles) which took him into the Borno region of Nigeria. From here he travelled north-east throughout the early hours of 7 September in an apparent beeline for Lake Chad.  By mid-afternoon he had made and was at the north of the lake - the first of our tagged Cuckoos this year to stop-over at this site. Livingstone spent a day or two there, while transmissions from Sussex’s tag show he was no closer than about 75km (45 miles) north-west of Lake Chad. Chance is heading towards Lake Chad but has yet to reach its shores. Last year Chance also stopped here, along with Chris and Mungo, and all stayed in the area for a while. It was actually the last location we received for Mungo on his journey.  
 
Patch leaves Europe - 05 Sep 2013
Patch has left Europe! In fact by midday on the 3 September he was in north Libya, and roughly 29 hours later he had made his crossing of the Tenere desert and was 1900km (1160 miles) further south, in Niger, but still with some way to go before he had finished crossing the rest of the desert. Since leaving Italy, however, we haven't yet received a location of good quality - hence nothing appearing on the map. Hopefully we will receive some of better quality shortly which will reveal his progress across the desert. 
 
 
Patch heads south - 02 Sep 2013

Signals from Patch’s tag this morning and lunchtime show he was also moving south and had travelled 890km (550 miles) to southern Italy!  He is close to the town of Rizzuto and about 95km (59 miles) NE of the Straits of Messina. We expect he will stop here only briefly before continuing south to begin his desert crossing. When we next hear from his tag, he could be over Libya, Niger or Chad.... 

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