Cuckoo in February!

[Jason Green]

This from the Rare Bird Alert site:

...The highlight of the day was the discovery of the first spring rarity: a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Ringaskiddy, County Cork. Although this species is noted for being an early vagrant, and there have been two previous February records of this species (and eleven have arrived in March), this is still the earliest ever in the British Isles by a full week.

Yep, County Cork and yes, a Great-spotted; but still, a cuckoo!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

This from the Rare Bird Alert site:
Yep, County Cork and yes, a Great-spotted; but still, a cuckoo!

Yes, but it doesn't call "cuck-oo"!

[Jason Green]

Good point Aesh; OK, so better make that 'Yep, county Cork, yes a Great-spotted and yes, it doesn't call cuck-oo' then

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Good point Aesh; OK, so better make that 'Yep, county Cork, yes a Great-spotted and yes, it doesn't call cuck-oo' then

That is so funny and i think,brings us back to square one

[Jason Green]

Yes Pip, better make it 'Yes, County Cork, Yes, a Great-spotted, Yes, it doesn't cuckoo and Yes, this snippet of info I posted late last night has absolutely nothing to do with your sighting at all' then, eh?!!

[John]

Also add that there is no connection between a Great Spotted being here and a Cuckoo being here.

John

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Yes Pip, better make it 'Yes, County Cork, Yes, a Great-spotted, Yes, it doesn't cuckoo and Yes, this snippet of info I posted late last night has absolutely nothing to do with your sighting at all' then, eh?!!

[Jason Green]

OK John, you asked;

Yes, County Cork, Yes, a Great-spotted, Yes, it doesn't 'cuck-oo', Yes, this snippet of info I posted late last night has absolutely nothing to do with your sighting at all and No, there is no connection between a Great-spotted being here and a cuckoo being here'

...anyone else care to add anything?!

I just wondered if there was any connection between the regular Common Cuckoo and Great-spotted Cuckoo's wintering habits; If one can come over then I thought maybe the other could too? Bare in mind I hadn't heard of the G-s C until last night anyway

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

I just wondered if there was any connection between the regular Common Cuckoo and Great-spotted Cuckoo's wintering habits; If one can come over then I thought maybe the other could too? Bare in mind I hadn't heard of the G-s C until last night anyway

Neither had i,group hug for Jason

[Jason Green]

...thanks

[John]

Here's one I took earlier.



Great Spotted Cuckoo habitat.

In Mediterranean, semi-arid, subtropical, and tropical zones, generally in warm lowlands, unusual above c. 500 m and generally avoiding mountains, forests, and wetlands, although tolerating oceanic climate on Iberian Atlantic coast. Population in Coto Doñana (Spain) concentrated along heathlands, interspersed with cork oaks, and with thickets of bramble, tree-heath, juniper, and other shrubs used for nesting by many Magpies on which this species is locally parasitic. Also favours cultivated areas such as olive or almond groves and adjoining parkland or open oak and pine woodland, occasionally penetrating into towns or villages.

Cuckoo Habitat

Breeds in all climatic zones of west Palearctic except arctic tundra and desert. Absent from barren mountains, extensive dense forests, oceanic islands, and closely built urban areas. Ubiquitous and mobile, in both lowlands and uplands, to c. 2400 m in Switzerland. Ranges indiscriminately over wide variety of habitats conventionally regarded as distinct: coniferous or broad-leaved woodland and scrub, parkland, open country with scattered trees or hedgerows including farmland of various types, wetlands with reedbeds, heaths, and coastal dunes or marshes. Restless mobility and far-carrying voice compensate for thin distribution among habitats, largely determined by choices of principal host species parasitized for rearing young, such as Meadow Pipit on rough grassland, Dunnock in bushy fringes or scrub, and locally Reed Warbler in reedbeds. ♀ may frequent more than one egg-laying territory, separated by up to 3 km or more from shared feeding territory where caterpillars of prey species are abundant. In addition to adequate food supplies and populations of brood-hosts, requires plenty of well-placed commanding song-posts and look-outs (e.g. treetops, bare rocks, telegraph poles, fences, or walls) for communicating with conspecific birds and monitoring breeding stages of prospective hosts.

John