Our First Swallows

[Mark Bolam]

Slight tangent but I heard my first Cuckoo yesterday.

Quick diary check showed 3 weeks later than last year, to the day.

Pretty much in line with the bluebell ‘show’.

 

Still bloody cold at night.

[Stubby]

1 minute ago, Mark Bolam said:

Slight tangent but I heard my first Cuckoo yesterday.

Quick diary check showed 3 weeks later than last year, to the day.

Pretty much in line with the bluebell ‘show’.

 

Still bloody cold at night.

Not heard one here in my village for at least 10 years . Go up the road a bit to Harting and there he is !

[Baldbloke]

Just had my fleeting first glimpse of either a Swallow or House Martin just now. Two weeks late but better that, than none at all. Think we had five pairs last year as against about 18 or 20 pairs 12 years ago.

That’s near Keith in Moray in the NE of Scotland BTW.

We’d normally be hearing a Cuckoo or two by now but suppose they’ll be a fortnight late too.

[htb]

Were at Cairnie, no swallows yet but heard a cuckoo a week ago

2 hours ago, Baldbloke said:

Just had my fleeting first glimpse of either a Swallow or House Martin just now. Two weeks late but better that, than none at all. Think we had five pairs last year as against about 18 or 20 pairs 12 years ago.

That’s near Keith in Moray in the NE of Scotland BTW.

We’d normally be hearing a Cuckoo or two by now but suppose they’ll be a fortnight late too.

 

[Baldbloke]

Were at Cairnie, no swallows yet but heard a cuckoo a week ago
 

Is that Cairnie/ Ruthven or Cairnie /Fife?
If it’s the Ruthven one that would make sense as we face the Balloch which is where we always hear the first Cuckoo calls.

[htb]

Half way between cairnie and ruthven, we face the Binn and back to the Balloch.

[openspaceman]

On 02/05/2021 at 22:10, Stubby said:

Not heard one here in my village for at least 10 years . Go up the road a bit to Harting and there he is !

Not heard a cuckoo here for much longer than 10 years. Normally manage to hear one when working further south and in woodland but getting fewer and fewer. Last time I remember seeing one was working on a dairy farm 48 years ago

 

 

[nepia]

Last heard a cuckoo near Horsham about 5 years ago.

 

Saw my third swallow of the year yesterday on the Cuckmere flood plain at Alfriston!  I was in shorts - doh - so sympathised with any feelings it had of '**** it's cold'

[Baldbloke]

Not heard a cuckoo here for much longer than 10 years. Normally manage to hear one when working further south and in woodland but getting fewer and fewer. Last time I remember seeing one was working on a dairy farm 48 years ago
 
 

Saw one last year. Initially thought it was a sparrow hawk until it flew over.

[htb]

Heard it again about an hour ago whilst out with the dogs, It was in the trees besides us, did not sound very healthy, probably bird flu.