CUCKOO'S AND THEIR HOSTS

Every Spring hails the return of the Cuckoo back at the farm. Although this year they were a bit late and didn't really show as well as previous years but I managed to locate the Male and get a couple of pic's.

male cuckoo

The main reason they return every year is because just above the farm is moorland where good numbers of Meadow pipits and Skylarks nest. Also on the farm there's a habitat area of open woodland where Tree pipits also nest, the Cuckoo's use these species as their hosts to bring up their offspring. The male will lure the host away from it's nests and the female will go in and lay her solitary egg.

meadow pipit

The Tree pipit is very similar to the Meadows but is a Summer visitor here from Africa, the very faint lines on the flanks and a shorter hind claw is the best way to seperate them in the field, also the Tree pipits display call is slightly different. Tree pipits start and end their display flights from a tree where Meadows take off for their display flights from the ground and then return there.

Here's a couple of Tree pipit images in display flight.

tree pipit

 And here's a Skylark, there's always good numbers of these nesting on the moorland.

skylark

The Cuckoo's will be on their way back to tropical Africa by the end of June and as they only arrive here at the tail end of April their stay here is very brief, but I will look forward to their return at the farm next Spring as I do every year.