Cuckoo Cuckoo

[Containergardener]

Heard it this morning, it's back

[Nicos]

Fantastic!
We heard ours for the first time only the other day. Only the one so far so I hope they find a mate.
Are they a bit late this year?

[Containergardener]

Not sure
. Always thought it was about Easter. Only the one heard yet and it was in the distance somewhere. Likely hear another soon hopefully.

[Nicos]

We had a bit of a break from ‘our’ cuckoo - I think it flew North maybe ?

Anyway, we have had another male around now for a few days, and he’s mostly hanging around our back garden.
It’s a delight to hear him…but he’s at it none stop
It’s exhausting to listen to, especially when he’s only 50 feet away - maximum at times!
Close enough to see him sort of squat down , lift his tail right up- almost vertical and sort of hunch his wings slightly out to the side. Rather pretty really.
Yesterday evening he actually started to sound like he was losing his voice!
Hope he finds a lass soon poor lad.
I was just thinking though…he doesn’t actually have to do much in the way of care does he?…a quick ‘ how’s your father’ and that’s absolutely it!…no nest building, no feeding chicks….just a heck of a fly back to Africa in a few weeks.

[Containergardener]

I thought cuckoos just have their eggs in other birds nests and let the other bird raise them.

[Nicos]

Yep, indeed they do…up to 20 in a season apparently. Looks like all his effort goes into finding a mate, and nothing else!( apart from all the flying from and back to Africa)
The ultimate ‘lazy daddy ‘
At least the mommy just has to find a nest and lay the egg.

[Containergardener]

I've just been reading that as there are several species of cuckoo they will produce the egg similar to the hosts nest eggs. Rather clever but very unfair on the host and their chick's.

[Nicos]

^^^ hadn’t realised that!..interesting

[Containergardener]

Heard our cuckoo this morning

[Vince G]

Very rare sound in my part of the world nowadays. I have to take a trip to the other end of the county to RSPB Lakenheath Fen to be certain of hearing them. Early May is a good time for other star species there too, as the bitterns and cranes have young so need to be a bit braver, and there's usual a lot of Hobby arriving by then too.

[burnie]

We don't hear them in the village, but they are in the local Glens.
Took this quite a few years ago now
https://flic.kr/p/2g1TE91