Spring brings with it many wildlife delights and things
to look out for, but one of the sounds most looked forward to has to be the
call of a Cuckoo, usually first occurring in mid-April. Although numbers
of this iconic summer visitor have fallen in many parts of the UK, (thought in
part to be linked to the changes of abundance and distribution of their prey),
numbers in the Lower Derwent Valley are still doing well. Whilst not as common
as they once were, good numbers have arrived back following the first of the
year recorded at Melbourne on 10th April. From recent survey work around the Ings and Pocklington Canal, 27 singing males have been located so far. The Pocklington Canal area
at Melbourne is a favoured haunt of these birds and a good place to listen out
for the distinct ‘cuckoo’ call of the male, and the less frequently heard
‘bubbling’ call of the female. The Bank Island/Wheldrake Ings/Storwood area
also has at least three calling males, whilst Skipwith Common is another
reliable site. Many thanks to local wildlife photographer Mark Hughes for the
image below, taken in Melbourne in the Lower Derwent Valley.
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