Cuckoo calling - is it common to hear them?

Scotty #

_Brian wrote: »

We’re in east cavan.
I remember the cuckoo when I was a child but they disappeared here maybe early 80’s

They returned two years ago, last year we could hear three different birds calling in the afternoons. They returned here 10 days ago and are very vocal.

There is an abundance of insects and flies in this area as it’s not intensively farmed and as a result we get plenty of birds.

Great, perhaps they'll come back to East Meath, Louth, too.

fryup

Radio 1 Mooney goes wild had a special about them last night

Heard one for the first time yesterday

Doctors room ghost

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Heard one for the first time yesterday

They eat a lot of a certain type of caterpillar and the fir plantations are great for producing them so that’s a good place to hear them late evening before the roost.

Don keebals

Here in West Cavan/north Leitrim the cuckoo's been calling since early April ,i have heard them at 2.00 am in the morning during the warmer nights last week ,and just today their call has changed to a warbling at the end. "the cuckoo comes in April, she sings her song in may, In June she changes her tune, and July she fly's away"

Whestsidestory

Actually saw one for the first time , could hear it all over the place for days and then suddenly it was on the top of a tree in front of me cuckooing away, unfortunately it was against the sun so I couldn't get a proper look at it this was about a month ago

Tiercel Dave

Don keebals wrote: »

Here in West Cavan/north Leitrim the cuckoo's been calling since early April ,i have heard them at 2.00 am in the morning during the warmer nights last week ,and just today their call has changed to a warbling at the end. "the cuckoo comes in April, she sings her song in may, In June she changes her tune, and July she fly's away"

All for equality Don but it's the male that calls!.....

The Cush

East Co. Limerick, around the Slieve Felim's 1 or 2 of them around here year after year. Always waiting to hear once April arrives and on cue mid April they returned a few weeks ago. It's call would lift your spirits when you first hear it each year.

Years back there were lots of them around but now down to one or two, I've heard it said they are in decline due to birds making their nests earlier because of the earlier milder weather with the eggs hatching earlier leaving fewer potential nests for the later arriving cuckoo.

I've yet to see one in the flesh.

Don keebals

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

All for equality Don but it's the male that calls!.....

Yes you are correct the male is the call we are all familiar with but the female is more of a mixture of warbling and cuck cooing ...the saying I was told when I was a cub refering to the cuckoo's as "she" has many variations

catrat12

Heard a cuckoo today up near tibraddon wood in Dublin mountains was very loud and clear also saw a jay delighted

New Home

Yes, quite common.

a148pro

Tons of Jays in Massey's Wood the other day, heard a Cuckoo in Powerscourt the other night, first time I heard one in Dublin (area), hear them regularly in Connemara this time of year. Always reminds me of a soft warm evening when you hear them.

RandomViewer

Monday evening ,behind the house, Donegal

LRNM

Last Saturday.
https://streamable.com/nhi6c7

Birdnuts

Saw 2 this week sitting on Wires next to my place near Belmullet

Zaph

Never heard a cuckoo before until the other day. I was pretty sure that's what it was, but I listened to the bird in the OP's video and it was the same. I think it might have been a bit lost, I'm in D15 and definitely not rural. Haven't heard it since.

TCDStudent1

Regularly hear them in North Galway

Scotty #

Zaph wrote: »

Never heard a cuckoo before until the other day. I was pretty sure that's what it was, but I listened to the bird in the OP's video and it was the same. I think it might have been a bit lost, I'm in D15 and definitely not rural. Haven't heard it since.

You sure it wasn't a clock? :p;)

Most unusual to have one in an urban area.

NIMAN

Usually woken by bloody pigeons at sunrise, but a few days ago heard a cuckoo, I think for the 1st time ever.

Scotty #

Came across this clip on twitter today and thought of this thread.

A freshly fledged Cuckoo being fed by 'Mum & Dad'.

https://twitter.com/morgithology/status/1280422922600013824

geeneyj2

Never heard in Louth either though when I was young I used to think collared dove call was a cuckoo

amadangomor

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

They eat a lot of a certain type of caterpillar and the fir plantations are great for producing them so that’s a good place to hear them late evening before the roost.

This makes sense to me now as I heard one in Rahin wood Co. Kildare a few weeks ago and there were lots of caterpillars hanging down on silk on the conifers.

Don keebals

bto.org/our-science/projects/cuckoo-tracking-project .........just seen this project tracking cuckoo's in England they have live tracking of 3 male birds currently stopped in Spain readying for the flight over the Sahara desert, interesting for anyone interested in the migration route's to Africa and finding out possible causes for decline in numbers.

New Home

Mod: You don't have enough posts to be able to post links, yet, op.

Here it is: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/cuckoo-tracking-project

Rows Grower

Not yet the time of year but fairly sure I just heard one here in south Kerry.

Don keebals

The tracking of the 3 UK birds now show's them building their fat reserves readying for the flight over the Sahara desert and back to UK after spending the winter in the rainforests of Gabon and Angola.

Rows Grower

False alarm.

On closer investigation it turned out to be a collared dove.

fryup

Rows Grower wrote: »

Not yet the time of year but fairly sure I just heard one here in south Kerry.

did you hear the one about the kerryman who thought he heard a cuckoo in february....