Cuckoos

[JDog]

I had a quick decoying session late on Monday afternoon when I picked 41 pigeons shooting over old drillings. The birds were very wary and I later found out that the farmers son has been ratching round the fields in the afternoons.

 

Two birds that did come into the pattern beautifully were two cuckoos. The birds were three metres apart, they came across the field towards the pattern, up over the rotary and over my head into an oak tree fifteen metres away where they sat making their special noise.

[matone]

Hav`n`t heard a Cuckoo this year sadly .

[crowcaller]

Was a good afternoon 41 birds and seeking cuckoos.have not seen a cuckoo for two years now , used to see and hear them at this time regular.

[Fisherman Mike]

I had a quick decoying session late on Monday afternoon when I picked 41 pigeons shooting over old drillings. The birds were very wary and I later found out that the farmers son has been ratching round the fields in the afternoons.

 

Two birds that did come into the pattern beautifully were two cuckoos. The birds were three metres apart, they came across the field towards the pattern, up over the rotary and over my head into an oak tree fifteen metres away where they sat making their special noise.

Lovely...for some that would be a once in a lifetime experience...and for many never to be experienced.!

[dead eye alan]

Not heard one yet this year sadly. Seem's like thy are getting rare in the uk.

[garden gun]

Saw and heard my first cookoo at the Slimbridge waterfowl reserve a couple of years ago. Sadly no sign in S Bucks. However, the local tawny owls are a pair again this year and we get the full "twit twoo". Last year it was only the "twoo". Badger, deer and Charile road kill is way up this year.

[garygreengrass]

Heard a few but not seen one yet.

[Berettacocker]

Not heard the first Cuckoo yet, but saw Hobby three weeks ago which was earlier than usual.

[Whitebridges]

Seen three so far this year.

[Penelope]

I have seen 4 cuckoos so far this year, although I may have seen the same one twice on different days. As for Hobbys they have been back in the Lea Valley for just over a month now.

 

Not heard the first Cuckoo yet, but saw Hobby three weeks ago which was earlier than usual.

[fruity]

Surely Once I a life time experience jdog ?

I hear the cookoo in the wood behind my house regularly, I carefully walk towards the bird hoping to get a glance, but soon as you get closer it stops, so I wait but it must know im there and goes quiet

Would love to see it

[stubby]

heard a couple in our wood only last week, would be good to see it though

[Berettacocker]

Can't beat the sight of a hunting Hobby! On youtube there's a video of one having a very determined flight and catching a Swift, but I think title of film is " Peregrine catches Swift " !! Have a look lads.

[pigeon controller]

41 a good number for the afternoon, we heard some cuckoos last week. DB is very good at calling them and we have had some fun in the past with them circling around us.

[timd999]

Not heard a cuckoo in my area for a couple of years now. I read somewhere that numbers had dropped by a fifth in a single year but maybe that's just someone putting a spin on things to grab the headlines. There are certainly less than there used to be and I don't think anyone knows why.

[camokid]

heard them on a woodland walk the past two weekend not seen one since i was a kid

[39TDS]

There was one at my place this morning and another when I got to work.

Many years since there was one at my place.

[matone]

Not heard a cuckoo in my area for a couple of years now. I read somewhere that numbers had dropped by a fifth in a single year but maybe that's just someone putting a spin on things to grab the headlines. There are certainly less than there used to be and I don't think anyone knows why.

Their eggs are exposed to the increasing predation by corvids,just like everything else I would suppose!

[Kes]

Heard one twice yesterday in Shropshire but not seen one for a few years. A farmer friend reckons the journey is getting longer as the Sahara is expanding and for some its now too far.

I hadnt thought of that. I also think the nests they used to rely on have reduced in number and predation has increased. Very hawk-like wings and ofetn seen on telephone wires in remote areas.

[marsh man]

Last year we had a Cuckoo near mine and the B T O or some other group caught it and put a transmitter on its back, when it left this country they followed it progress and four other ones down as far as the Congo maybe they went further I don't know Fisherman Mike is clued up on that sort of thing perhaps if he see this he could tell us more .I see one some mornings in more or less the same place they caught one , weather its the same one I cant tell yer . JDog as for getting 41 in a short afternoon I would stand more chance seeing a skein of Cuckoos heading north to the Cotswolds........ .

[stuy]

Heared one today just came back from a recon for tomorrow thats the first in 2 years

[anser2]

Matone the reason for cuckoo decline is a combination of the lack of large insects for food , the drop in host birds such at meadow pipit and problems on their winter migration. Crows have very little if any impact on them. Numbers have dropped sharply in my area of Norfolk. 20 years ago it was not uncommon to see three or four males chasing a female , but these days they are more often heard than seen. Most years I have at least one in my wood.

[Dbw1shrops]

I heard 1 a couple of weeks ago in shropshire (cressage) I took my mate to one of my perms to try his air rifle out he had just bought got 2 rabbits and heard a cuckoo so he was made up, so was I having not heard one for about 3 years.

 

Dave

[Big Mat]

I have not heard the cuckoo in a few days but we did have one in the trees behind the house last week. It arrived a couple of weeks back and i was very pleased to here it, there has only been a couple of years in the last 10 when it has not been around.

[dead eye alan]

Horay heard one yesterday first this year.