The Cuckoos Return

UPDATE: Report of cuckoo in Cottenham, at Fen Drayton, and at Paxton Pits last day or two.

Cuckoos tracked by the BTO have returned to Old Blighty, a couple of days later than last year.

Mrs Sciencebase and I have seen several of the UK’s regular summer visitors during the last couple of weeks (Blackcaps, Martins [Sand and House], Swallow, Willow Warbler etc) but we have not heard nor seen any Cuckoos this year yet.

Listen out for this brood parasite with its unmistakeable call. We saw and photographed two males in May 2017. The mostly grey-coloured bird looks a bit hawkish but a lot smaller than most raptors. Also comes in a rufous coloured variety (caught sight of a rufous cuckoo on the North Norfolk coast in the summer of 2017.