Cuckoos in west midland's (1 Viewer)

Hello Bird Forum,

I’m a Radio producer based in Birmingham and I'm making a programme for Radio 4 about cuckoos. I know we don't hear that many cuckoos in our region but I'm currently trying to record cuckoos in the West Midlands. I wonder if you would be kind enough to ask your members whether anybody is hearing cuckoos regularly at a specific site in the area?

Thanks and kind regards

Rosie

Rosie Boulton
Audio Producer
Must Try Softer Productions

Hi

Difficult with the lockdown, most of the sights I would suggest are reserves which are currently off limits. Others may be able to help better than me.

However in the past Castlemorton Common near the Malvern was always good.

Try looking at the active threads in the West Midlands area, some of those have posted cuckoos recently.

Depends how far one is prepared to travel - Wyre Forest or Cannot Chase are productive locations

Hi

Take al look at the Withymoor post. He had a couple of cuckoos today!

Early mornings around Salwarpe Worcestershire there are several males calling - often close to public footpaths/ canal towpath. Hope this helps.

I am seeing and hearing them regularly at both old sand and gravel pits at Grimley in Worcestershire with 3-5 birds noted. I have also had birds at The Million, Kinver, and Highgate Common - both Staffordshire locations. All these sites offer a good range of host species to parasitise e.g Pipits, Larks and Reed Warblers rather than males just calling on passage:t:

I am at Grimley again today so i will post here accordingly.

Laurie:t:

P.S. a colleague of yours, Radio 4’s Brett Westwood, lives locally in Stourbridge and he covers the local area (when restrictions allow) he might be able to give you some pointers.

A 2.5 hour 4 mile circuit yielded 4 widely spaced / socially distanced calling male Cuckoos. In addition a calling female was heard and then seen, with a male, at the White Hart fishing pool:t:

As cream on the cake just before posting this some 20 minutes ago at 0545 i was out on the car park with the dog and a male could be heard calling. I live just off Stourbridge ring road near the Brierley Hill spur railway line. This bird was calling to the West on the other side of the ring road i would say not more than a mile away possibly half that. I will have another listen and possibly try and trace the source after a Coffee. I have lived here 18+ years and this is my first record heard from the house:eek!:

Good birding -

Laurie:t:

Attached: yesterdays’ route.