Cuckoo

[steve_b_wales]

I heard my first one yesterday, in the woodland behind my house.

[discobob]

Used to hear a cuckoo up the top from us. There was a good wildlife corridor with a wide belt of trees which was home to a lot of animals - then they built a housing estate up there and parred the corridor back to a very narrow strip. It has been very noticeable since then on the lack of wildlife that we see.

[samboy]

I've heard more Cuckoos this year than ever before. Over a vaster area too.

[islandgun]

Heres a poor picture from last year [you get the idea] they seem quite keen on using meadow pipits as foster parents

[Penelope]

Surrounded by them this weekend whilst fishing a big gravel pit. There were 5 individual birds calling at one point; one in the tree above me.

They are also a lot more vocal than just the "cuckoo"; I like the odd sounding chuckle they make.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I was out of town yesterday and guess what made my day, hearing a cuckoo, 👍

[Nublue 22]

Yes one on Sunday a the Peak District and one today in the garden. 

[Catamong]

On 23/05/2023 at 08:16, Dave at kelton said:

Really sad how few people now hear cuckoos. I recently posted on fb about hearing them and grouse whilst fishing. The reaction from a number of pals was, “haven’t heard one for years”. I am fortunate to live where they are still seen and heard but am pretty sure if I still lived in the south I too would be saying this. I am guessing a lot of this is habitat loss but then I am no scientist.

Dave,

If you were a bit further north you'd hopefully be pleasantly surprised, I've just got back from doing the NC500 road trip from Inverness via John O'Groats and a whole host of simply lovely places along the very North and West coast of Scotland, once we turned South from Cape Wrath, and stopped in 5 or 6 different campsites, there were Cuckoos literally everywhere, I was so pleased, and very surprised, as they are now pretty scarce down South.

My question is...why the hell would they fly all the way from central Africa, only to bypass the Southern part of England, it makes no sense to fly another 600 plus miles into dreadfully cold and wet weather, and I won't mention the ******* midges.!!!?

Cat.😎

[Dave at kelton]

10 hours ago, Catamong said:

Dave,

If you were a bit further north you'd hopefully be pleasantly surprised, I've just got back from doing the NC500 road trip from Inverness via John O'Groats and a whole host of simply lovely places along the very North and West coast of Scotland, once we turned South from Cape Wrath, and stopped in 5 or 6 different campsites, there were Cuckoos literally everywhere, I was so pleased, and very surprised, as they are now pretty scarce down South.

My question is...why the hell would they fly all the way from central Africa, only to bypass the Southern part of England, it makes no sense to fly another 600 plus miles into dreadfully cold and wet weather, and I won't mention the ******* midges.!!!?

Cat.😎

Good to hear. Given how far they have flown I would happily do another 800 miles to bypass the South of England! Its why I now live in Scotland😁

[12gauge82]

11 hours ago, Catamong said:

Dave,

If you were a bit further north you'd hopefully be pleasantly surprised, I've just got back from doing the NC500 road trip from Inverness via John O'Groats and a whole host of simply lovely places along the very North and West coast of Scotland, once we turned South from Cape Wrath, and stopped in 5 or 6 different campsites, there were Cuckoos literally everywhere, I was so pleased, and very surprised, as they are now pretty scarce down South.

My question is...why the hell would they fly all the way from central Africa, only to bypass the Southern part of England, it makes no sense to fly another 600 plus miles into dreadfully cold and wet weather, and I won't mention the ******* midges.!!!?

Cat.😎

I can only guess they probably wouldn't. Perhaps habitat loss, song bird loss or other factors have driven them out of the south and the north has maintained a stable population due to the much smaller population.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can inform us.

[JohnfromUK]

On 23/05/2023 at 08:47, JohnfromUK said:

Now you mention it, I have only heard the cuckoo call very occasionally this year.

Having said the above a week ago, in the last week I have heard many more calls, so perhaps it was just a bit early.

[12gauge82]

1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said:

Having said the above a week ago, in the last week I have heard many more calls, so perhaps it was just a bit early.

Good news 👍

[gmm243]

Have heard far more this year than any other year- can you get a good cuckoo year like you do with woodcock?

Saw 2 last week when I was fishing,at one point I was playing a trout and one flew right over my head landing in a tree about 50m away.

[old man]

First one here today, called for about 3 minutes.

 

[chesterse]

Heard one yesterday in the S. Lincs 
fens. First one for about 15 years. They used to be common in the area but hearing that one made my day.

[Penelope]

Fished the same gravel pit this weekend and only one cuckoo seen and heard. I guess the others have finished their parasitic egg laying and on their way back to Africa.

[samboy]

Still hearing them in my area.