Grow Your Own Magazine

This evening, after it stopped raining, I heard a cuckoo calling from somewhere above the vineyard. I walked up and tiptoed around the verge of a little ash coppice and there he was - sitting on a furze bush with his back to me. I often see cuckoos around here, but this sighting was special: as he called - and he kept at it for a couple of minutes - he wagged his tail! Just like a dog, from side to side! I've never seen any kind of bird wag its tail like that before - up and down, yes; but never side to side. It looked quite absurd, for some reason. Has anybody else ever seen this sort of thing?

also heard one tonight whilst watering lottie,didnt see it though.last year one spent all afternoon calling & doing circles around the whole allotment area.pointed it out to kiddies but i think they didnt quite grasp the same excitement as me.Had to stop truck down country lane 1 day while cuckoo sat in road staring at me 4 several mins,that was my 1st close up so very excited!

Lucky you - I've never seen a cuckoo. Hardly ever hear one these days, either.
In May 1997, I sat up all night watching the General Election results, then went for a walk at dawn - and heard the first cuckoo of the year. I thought then it was an omen....

Heard one in our village for the first time since living there 14 years now!
When kiddie, back in Essex we would hear them every spring!

I've never heard one.......but for a moment the other week I thought I did, only to realise after several minutes it was my nextdoor but one neighbour calling her new puppy, Poppy....it really sounded like a Cuckoo noise to me!!!

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Lucky you - this has been the second year we have had no cuckoos.

In 1968 (yes, another world) I spent the summer on the Isle of Mull.
A cuckoo sat on the telephone wire above the house and co -cood all day long.
I was enchanted for the first 10 minutes. By the end of singing season I could have throttled that bird.
They are just lovely in the distance. Close up they are very loud and very annoying.
Cuckoo - Cuckoo - Cuckoo - Cuckoo Keep going for another 10 hours.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.