heard the first cuckoo

[Stubby]

Definitely in decline. As a kid many years ago they were a common sound and sight in the countryside. In my childhood egg-collecting days a cuckoo's egg was the holy grail. Eventually got one from an hedgesparrow's nest in the garden. Many of our migrants are losing ground too. Swifts, swallows, martins. I think many of our older houses are being sanitised with plastic which the martins don't like and gaps are lost the swifts used to use.

 

Some people won't even allow the martins to nest because they don't like a bit of bird poo on the wall, drive or car!

 

I think you are spot on there bud . Spring cuckoo was a common thing for me up until about 10 years ago . We got swallows/martins in the tables as per but as you say modern houses = loss of habitat .

[coppiceer]

I actually saw my very first cuckoo today. She flew onto the top of an electricity pole directly in front of me and had a good look around. I thought that it was a kestrel at first but the wings were all wrong; looking at my book it was obviously a female cuckoo. Made my day(year,millennium, etc.).

[hedgesparrow]

Definitely in decline. As a kid many years ago they were a common sound and sight in the countryside. In my childhood egg-collecting days a cuckoo's egg was the holy grail. Eventually got one from an hedgesparrow's nest in the garden. Many of our migrants are losing ground too. Swifts, swallows, martins. I think many of our older houses are being sanitised with plastic which the martins don't like and gaps are lost the swifts used to use.

 

Some people won't even allow the martins to nest because they don't like a bit of bird poo on the wall, drive or car!

 

+1 so sad that a bit of bird poo will not alow them to nest they can nest a much as they like on my bungalow maybe i will have to put up some mud pans for them in wood shed.

[5 shires]

Not herd one yet,live Worcestershire west mid,s used to be realy common around here

but then they started cleaning up the many miles of canals which we have. lots of the reeds along the margins were dug out which is were the they liked to lay there egg in the reed bunting nest,s

I could be wrong but makes sense to me and may be if and when the reeds grow back they may return.

[StephF]

1st cuckoo's heard in Kielder forest 3-4 weeks ago, heard one on Saturday on and off all day nearby, listening to David Attenburgh on radio this week and he has not heard any yet!