Cuckoo!
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
Our first cuckoo arrived this morning, Friday. When I look at my last 20 years' record in the area, it's quite a late date, but better late than never. Until 1996 it occasionally arrived in early May, but since then it's always been an April date, one year as early as 19 April! Just out of interest, in 1908 the first cuckoo in this area was heard on 29 April, so we are not too far out.
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Monika, it's the little things like hearing the first Cuckoo that i love about life.
Gosh you couldn't have been very old in 1908.
Gosh you couldn't have been very old in 1908.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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Shallot Man
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Cannot remember the last time I heard a cuckoo [Essex]
I heard my first cuckoo of the year when I was in the woods in Ambridge yesterday evening. I don't think Eddie and Will noticed it though as they had more serious matters to deal with.
John
John
Last edited by John on Sat May 03, 2008 10:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
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PLUMPUDDING
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Heard the first cuckoo here in Yorkshire yesterday and my friend heard one three days ago on her farm.
One year when I was a little girl a pair of Dunnocks were caring for a cuckoo chick at the top of our garden. It was enormous and they were frantically dashing about and stuffing food into its huge gaping beak all day long. They must have felt really proud of their giant baby, but should have had an inkling it wasn't taking after either of them.
One year when I was a little girl a pair of Dunnocks were caring for a cuckoo chick at the top of our garden. It was enormous and they were frantically dashing about and stuffing food into its huge gaping beak all day long. They must have felt really proud of their giant baby, but should have had an inkling it wasn't taking after either of them.
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Parsons Jack
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Hi all,
I was planting out some climbing french beans a couple of days ago in the afternoon and heard a cuckoo. As I listened it got louder, and two of the buggers flew over. One or both of them cuckooing all the way. I've heard the occasional one this year, but not many. That's definitely the first time I've seen two together though. Anyone else seen any this year?
Cheers, PJ.
I was planting out some climbing french beans a couple of days ago in the afternoon and heard a cuckoo. As I listened it got louder, and two of the buggers flew over. One or both of them cuckooing all the way. I've heard the occasional one this year, but not many. That's definitely the first time I've seen two together though. Anyone else seen any this year?
Cheers, PJ.
Cheers PJ.
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........
It'll have been a pair of them most likely, Parsons Jack, in which case only the male "cuckood". The female makes a sort of croaking noise. We have two pairs along the edge of the moor this year and their host birds are likely to be meadow pipits. I once saw a meadow pipit sitting on the top of a baby cuckoo's head and stuffing food down its wide gape, sideways! Most peculiar sight.
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Parsons Jack
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Hi Monika,
Thanks for the info. I suspected it might be. We have meadow pipits on the rough area between the golfcourse and the beach near here, so probably the same host. Although there are also some water courses with sedges and reeds around as well, so there might be some warblers with big offspring about
Cheers, PJ.
Thanks for the info. I suspected it might be. We have meadow pipits on the rough area between the golfcourse and the beach near here, so probably the same host. Although there are also some water courses with sedges and reeds around as well, so there might be some warblers with big offspring about
Cheers, PJ.
Cheers PJ.
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........