Late first cuckoo

[peteren]

Finally heard my first cuckoo of spring today - a full month later than my earliest - 9 April in a warm spring about 12 years back. That was only time earlier than 14 April which Mum called cuckoo day.

[davelumb]

Not heard one here for a few years. I blame the opening up of the local wood to the public. Apart from loads of dog walkers all the understory has been 'tidied up' so there's no nesting sites for a lot of species, including the cuckoo's preferred hosts. Also lots of nest robbing grey squirrels for what nest sites remain for the other birds.

[peteren]

Cuckoos rarer here, too. Heard from woods behind my garden - where grey squirrels on the increase.

[martin(rockape)]

Heard my first cuckoo of the year last thursday whilst fishing though I've never ever seen one.

Regards

Martin

[piker al]

Havnt heard 1 this year yet but heard them a few times last year

[Will Smith]

I was just saying to my dear wife that I heard my first Cuckoo of the year as I walked the dogs earlier this evening.

We still have a few Red Squirrels up here in various strongholds that are managing to hold on against the onslaught of the Greys.

Will.

[piker al]

Seen a cuckoo last night, first I’ve seen for a few years, look quite clumsy when it was landed

[jonsykes]

The only one I've heard in years was at Centreparcs 2 years ago, but I did see a pair of Robins feeding an enormous Cuckoo chick in a nest in a split fallen tree near a local Res about 4 or 5 years back.
They were stuffing it full of white bread which had been thrown down for the ducks. Not an ideal diet obviously, but maybe they just needed a cheap filler to stop the squawking .... a bit like Northern mums wit' chip-pan on.

[Mike F]

Have heard 2 in the last day in Suffolk.

[Jeffire]

Heard first one about 2 weeks ago, never seen one.