First Cuckoos Reported

During the last 10 days we have had reportings and confirmations of the first cuckoos being heard locally. There is a strange satisfaction in knowing of the arrival of the first cuckoo, safe in the knowledge that summer is just around the corner.

This is terrific news since we have recently had reported sightings of a pair of Red Kites and many of you have also contacted TWiG to confirm that you too have seen the Red Kites.

As for the cuckoo – keep listening. Cuckoos are dove-sized birds with blue grey upper parts, head and chest and with dark barred white under parts.

With their sleek body, long tail and pointed wings they are not unlike kestrels or sparrowhawks.

Sexes are similar and the young are brown.

They are summer visitors and well-known brood parasites, the females laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, especially meadow pipits, dunnocks and reed warblers.

Their recent population decline makes them a Red List species.