First Cuckoo of the year! 18th April 2009

Saturday, and it’s gardening for me in the morning sun. Not much chance to stop and watch but had to take a moment to listen to the unmistakable call of a Cuckoo, in fact my very first outside the UK, singing loudly in the olive trees a short distance down the hill. Quite possibly a very recent arrival in Europe from its winter quarters in tropical Africa. As the morning progressed it seemed to work its way higher above me and continued calling through the day. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it…but you can’t help wonder which local species they may be short-listing for foster-parenting! The morning brought Bee Eaters through again, what sounded like maybe a dozen or so birds flew west around 11.30am, I heard them but failed to see them. Nice to mark the changing of the seasons with two summer visitors to the region, even if I didn’t actually get to see anything…