Spring is spreading across the countryside rapidly now. The hedges are white with blackthorn blossom and oilseed rape is turning the fields bright yellow. On Monday (April 18th) I heard the first cuckoo of the year. The bird was hidden somewhere in these woods which are just beginning to come into leaf.
I have noted the date of the first cuckoo over several years and in 2014 I posted that I heard the first cuckoo on 17th April.
The British Trust for Ornithology operates a cuckoo tracking program and the migration patterns of individual cuckoos can be followed here. One cuckoo, Chris, was tracked for five years and during that time spent 38% of his time on migration, 48% in the Congo and just 18% in the UK.
Although the cuckoo arrived in the UK about the same time in 2014 and 2016, spring did not arrive at the same time.
In 2014 I noted that the first cuckoo and the first apple blossom appeared about the same time. I took a picture of the apple blossom on our crab apple tree - picture below.
 |
| Crab Apple blossom - April 17th 2014 |
 |
| Bramley Apple - April 19th 2016 |
2 comments:
Hi Willow! It's taken me too long to get back over and say I'm excited that you purchased the Edinburgh Silent Traveller book. Of all the readers on my blog I think you will appreciate it the most! It was so fascinating to think of Edinburgh from a Chinese artist's point of view. If you ever see "The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds" by Julie Zickefoose I think you would really enjoy that book too. Your countryside photos are lovely! I found some cherry brandy rudbeckia seeds but they haven't sprouted yet. I'm worried my $6 was spent in vain. :( But my cardoons are coming along nicely. I am slowly trying to work in the garden -- best to pace myself. :) I also want to add a lilac bush and a butterfly bush this year.
Hi Heather, I am enjoying the book. I like the illustrations, many of the scenes haven't changed that much. His observations are interesting - a very wise man I think.
Post a Comment