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Bumper year for Cuckoos? (1 Viewer)

JustinG

Justin
This may just be wishful thinking, but I visit many birding websites, looking at all the latest sightings. I've noticed a lot of Cuckoo sightings so far this year, especially in Wales. I live in Carmarthenshire, and there are more Cuckoos this year in the county than any of the last 4/5 years.

I have an example. Garn Goch is an old hill-fort near Trapp, Llandeilo, with an area of rough grassland and woodland nearby. I last heard a Cuckoo there in 2009, and Cuckoos are back there this year. There is also another pair in the next valley.

Is this a trend other people are seeing? I so hope this is the case - it's not often there is good news about the iconic Cuckoo!
 
It seems our local cuckoos are heavily into reed warblers, so I never see/hear them in the two sites that I regularly visit and that have no reed warblers. When we visited the fishpond area in late April (open area with reeds and many warblers), there were numerous cuckoos flying around and even chasing each other. I always assumed they were birds of forest edges or even forest proper (feeding on caterpillars). Here they were flying around in the open and there weren't any trees to be seen (just some bushes and a lot of reeds).
 
Not here, I'm afraid, Justin. Not heard one from the house so far, and went to a reserve about 20 miles away yesterday where there are usually 3/4, but only heard 1.
 
Not here, I'm afraid, Justin. Not heard one from the house so far, and went to a reserve about 20 miles away yesterday where there are usually 3/4, but only heard 1.

That's a shame, I was hoping it was nationwide. Definitely locally to myself (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, western Brecon Beacons), there seems to be more Cuckoos than in the last few years. Like I mentioned, they're back at sites where they haven't been seen in recent years.
 
Usually I hear the first from my house in Kent around 16 April. Heard first one from the house today, 2 June, and have only heard two previously elsewhere this year. Still haven't seen one.
 
It's not across the UK then.

It must be a south Wales thing possibly - although late, there are Cuckoos back at areas where they have been missing in the last few years. I heard one from the garden for the first time ever a couple of weeks back too.
 
Saw my first Cuckoo last week. Heard plenty before. I have only seen/heard that one this year. They are very rare in my borough now. Lucky to get one per year.
 
This year, I´ve heard more cuckoos over here than normally. I suspect that there are more reports turning up on www.irishbirding.com than normal too, but that´s just a hunch. I think the primary host species here is meadow pipit.
 
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