Cuckoo

[Alder]

I heard my first cuckoo of the season yesterday and again this morning. I didn't hear it at all last year.
Historically the cuckoo arrived 17th 21st of April but it has been getting rarer and not visiting at all for years. Our swallows arrived on the 16th of April, the exact same date as last year.
It isn't only the cuckoo that is later this year, Cow parsley still in abundance as are flowers on thorn bushes, both had long passed this time last year
Russell

 

[AJB Temple]

No cuckoo here in Kent this year for the first time in 5 years. Only seen one swallow too - at a distance. Very wet May could have caused insect depletion?

 

[Argus]

Sorry to say.... they must be here in Wales. Assuming that they return to the same area each year, all ours made it back from Africa in one piece.

We normally have two in earshot of this house, which, given the call and the shape of the valley here could be acoustically speaking, some distance away - one to the southeast, the other in a wooded area to the north.

Both were active again this year. The first across the valley to the north, I heard about 3 - 4 weeks ago, around the same time that we had a strong southerly wind for a few days that also brought the first Swallow - a House-Martin, really.... but Swallowish enough for me. They nest on an old school building across the road.

The second turned up later. Oddly it inhabits an area where previously we had a bird with a distinctive call - it tended to end its call with two 'coos' in each phase. I heard it regularly for some years, but now it's gone, replaced by a bird with a normal call.

I've even had one - a juvenile, I think - in the garden. Sadly, without a camera and I had to look it up to be sure.

 

[AndyP]

Heard my first cuckoo on the 18th April and saw the first stork on the same day. I remember the missus saying she had heard one the week before. We are obviously 100+ miles south of the UK and we live very close to a very large marsh area ( le Marais de la Dives ) . I think one of the cuckoos favourite “hosts” are the warblers that also frequent the marshes.

I once heard and saw a cuckoo fly over the garden. They definitely “sing” in flight.

Previously I have heard them as early as the 12th April
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1013&p=11938&hilit=Cuckoo#p11938

 

[Argus]

Marais de la Dives .... is that near Caen, going down to the coast?

 

[RogerS]

Cuckoos have two migratory routes. Those from the South of the country go one (and more dangerous) route which might explain their depletion in numbers.

Those from the North of the country go and different way. Our cuckoo was here about four weeks ago.

 

[AndyP]

Marais de la Dives .... is that near Caen, going down to the coast?

Kind of. The Dives is to the north east of Caen.

 

[RogerM]

We heard cuckoos in Devon about 3 weeks ago. Very few swallows or house martins around though. I've heard that the persistent cold northerly winds throughout April and May meant that many didn't make it here.

 

[Argus]

Marais de la Dives .... is that near Caen, going down to the coast?

Kind of. The Dives is to the north east of Caen.

I think I remember....... I visited folk near Fecamp - at Limpiville - and they took us down there one day.
But it was all more than 50 years ago.....

 

[Stuart]

I haven’t heard a cuckoo in years. We live in deepest, darkest South Somerset and nothing at all.

However, we do seem to have a couple of woodpeckers knocking around. Love that noise!

 

[HappyHacker]

I also have not heard a cuckoo for years.

 

[Trevanion]

We've been catching them as they enter the country, we will not tolerate these illegal migrants!

 

[NickM]

Have heard one cuckoo.

I did see a huge number of swallows a couple of weeks ago. I went for an evening’s my walk and there were uncountable numbers (50 or so perhaps) catching insects on a hill top. I’ve never seen so many at once and they were flying within a metre or so of me. It was really heartening to see them.