Cuckoos, camassias and a visit to a Pig

‘The cuckoo comes in April, sings the month of May, changes its tune in the middle of June, and in July he flies away.’

It was with immense relief that I heard the cuckoo call this morning. I was getting worried as time was slipping by and still no cuckoo. I’ve heard the cuckoo every year since moving to the farm 20 years ago, and it’s usually a little earlier than the 8th May. So, I just hope a female has made it back too. Unlike the call of the male, she makes a bubbling sound, so I am unlikely to know if she is around or not.

Like many, I have never actually seen a cuckoo, despite it being similar in size to a woodpigeon. On a good morning, I’ll hear it call from 6 or 7 different locations around our fields, so it must be flying around but I’ve never managed to spot it. Has anybody has any luck spotting it!

According to Birdspot (https://www.birdspot.co.uk/first-cuckoo), on hearing the first cuckoo in spring, it’s traditional to pen a letter to The Times. But its probably better to report your sightings to their website.

Still no camassia flowers

I’ve seen so many images of camassia flowers being share…