Cuckoo

You know spring really is here when you hear the cuckoo. I heard my first one yesterday morning too.

Not heard a cuckoo at this house since moving in 2014.
Used to love hearing one at my old house.

As a child always use to hear cuckoo's and wonderful bird song in an evening and morning but very little now haven't heard a cuckoo for years.

Return of the cuckoo? Haven't heard one for ages.

How wonderful! I only ever hear a Cuckoo if I visit my friend in Italy. It's such a gorgeous sound of summer to wake up to.

thanks everyone

Gg

Both OH and I (who were in different areas of the garden) headed towards the house yesterday to ask the other one - "Did you hear the cuckoo?" Lovely to hear them - unless you are a Reed Warbler or something similar about to be taken advantage of. Do you think they ever know?

and how does the baby cuckoo know its a Cuckoo always get me ... when a reed warbler or dunnock etc are the foster parents and the chick imprints ...and end of the summer flies all the way back to Africa by itself , amazing.

I heard the cuckoo for the first time this week though not from its usual tree.

One spring a bird flew into the study window. We found it dazed, placed it in a basket, and took it over to show our neighbour. a bird expert. I thought it was a young kestrel. It had fierce eyes and vicious-looking clawed feet so I was quite shocked to be told it was a cuckoo. I placed the basket in the airing cupboard with some cat food and a dish of water. At five next morning I took it outside and watched the cuckoo fly strongly away.

I had never seen a cuckoo before this occasion and have never seen one remotely close since.

That must have been a fantastic experience Eirlys, yes they are often mistaken for kestrels or sparrowhawks because of their barring and wing shape. They are very elusive so all the more special to have had one so close. Lucky you.

How fantastic - you are all so lucky! I haven't heard one since somewhere around 2004, and then it was in Brittany. The last one I heard in the UK was in Nantwich in the late 80's.

I have heard in the South Wales valleys every year ....