Rooks Galore.

 When I was very small my Granddad lived in a small Yorkshire village that had a rookery in its churchyard. These were among the first birds I learnt to identify, their constant cawing fascinated me and I remember thinking how nice it would be, someday in the future, to live in a village with a rookery. Well, I made it.

A few Martinstown Rooks.  Photo. John Elliott

I now have 16 nests within a few yards from the house, with 32 ever hungery rooks waiting to be fed.

From my back door. Photo. John Elliott

 

Be carefull what you wish for in life.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The latest bulletin on my Cuckoo. Torc

Dear John,

Our satellite-tagged Cuckoos are funneling into west Africa now, with only one left in the Congo. One or two have already been out west for a few weeks so we can expect to see the first taking on the Sahara very soon. 

Over the last week Irish Cuckoo Cuach Torc has been the big mover, departing his wintering grounds in the Congo Basin and flying 2,102km (1,306 miles) west to Ghana. He is now in western Ghana, a few miles east of Bui National Park and the Bui Gorge Reservoir. Norfolk Cuckoo Joe is also in Ghana, 167km (104 miles) south-west of Torc.

 BTO.

 

  My Cuckoo.

   The latest bulletin from BTO.on  Cuach Torc

Dear John,

Earlier this week I was thrilled to receive an email from a recently retired BTO colleague letting me know that he had a Cuckoo singing at the bottom of his garden in Portugal. While we may have a little while to wait before the first Cuckoos arrive back in Britain and Ireland, it certainly adds to the anticipation and excitement.

When we last updated you, Worcestershire Cuckoo Trent had become the first of our tagged birds to make the move into west Africa. Through our tracking work we have established that this move to countries such as Ivory Coast and Guinea at this time of year is a very important part of the spring migration of our Cuckoos. Here they will spend a few weeks capitalising on the rich abundance of invertebrate life released by the rains to put on fat and muscle for the migration ahead. We have shown that the timing of departure from West Africa for the northward crossing of the Sahara is by far the most important determinant of timing of arrival to the breeding grounds. Our work has also shown that Cuckoos are struggling to build up their fat reserves quickly enough to allow them to migrate north in time to match the earlier arrival of spring here in the UK.

Irish Cuckoo Cuach Torc remains in northern Congo while Cuach Cores is towards the eastern reaches of  the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We'll hopefully see these two heading west any day now.

We should see the first of our Cuckoos crossing the Sahara in the next couple of weeks, but which will it be? 

Our plans for tagging more Cuckoos in 2024 are coming together well and we are looking forward to introducing you to our new Cuckoos in early June.

I hope you've enjoyed this update, stay tuned for the next instalment! In the meantime, you can see the latest positions of all our tagged birds by visiting the Cuckoo tracking map.

Thanks for your support and all best wishes,

Ieuan

Dr Ieuan Evans

Director of Engagement

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First Butterfly of the year.

 I caught a glimpse of my first butterfly of the year, a Red Admiral, yesterday, 6th of March. It crossed my front garden at speed, so sorry no photo.

Rooks starting their nesting year.

 The sticky buds on the Horse Chestnut tree outside my bedroom window are showing no sign of opening yet, but the dozen or so Rooks who call it home have started building their nests. Only one nest survived the winter. That is being quickly restored and the other five have been rapidly rebuilt during the last three or four days.

Rooks Rebuilding. Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge.

Spring on the Way.

 Along the very muddy path a the back of the Manor House a few Dog Violets poke up through the greenery. Their old Dorset name was Snake Violets, goodness knows why. 

 Dog Violets.  Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge

This is a very early date for this violet which is said to bloom in April to June. The uncommoner Pale Wood Violet, which is very similar, appears from March to May, so am I mis-identifying or are we seeing yet another indication of climate change, as with the Daffodils. When I first came to the village fifty years ago we were lucky if a few came out for St. David's Day. Now they have been out long enough to look a bit straggly. And another change, the Gypsies don't come and pick them anymore.

(Since writing the above I note that Durston Country Park have Dog Violets in bloom, also a month early)