Twenty years ago when I first settled here near Strumble, Cuckoo's abounded in the neighbourhood and were seen and heard daily from late April /early May, through June and into July. I would listen out for the change in its call to Cuk-uk-oo and the strange bubbling call of the female, as the season progressed .
It seemed that suddenly they were just gone. It may not have been so abrupt but I remember an Irish friend who lived in Rosslare asking me where they had gone around about 2004. Since then it seemed they had also pretty much disappeard from our neighbourhood. A kind of shrinkage from the western edge of its range. I have heard odd birds since then but all seemed to be passing through and I cant remember hearing any beyond May. Apparently cuckoo's have declined all over the UK and it is now a red list species.
This year, a little late perhaps, I heard my first Cuckoo a couple of weeks ago, but this week there have been at least two males calling, heard first on Monday and then several times again! Lets hope things are looking up for cuckoo's!
