anyone heard a cuckoo in thame or south oxon?

[eve miles]

Hi everyone,

I live in Thame, south Oxon, where we have a mixed environment of town, with large parks featuring mature trees, many gardens with bird-feeders and nestboxes, small pieces of woodland, and mixed arable and livestock farming. There is a 30 acre nature reserve with a brook running through it and a decent-sized reedbed, flower meadows and mixed deciduous woodland. I have lived here 12 years now and it seems to be a pretty decent environment for birds in general - though we don't, as far as I know, have a high species count, there is a great abundance of commoner birds. I have never however, to my knowledge, heard a cuckoo, let alone seen one. As we have good numbers of dunnocks, and most years, reed warblers, and as far as I'm aware these are the most popular birds' nests for cuckoos to paratisize, I am still surprised by this, even though I'm aware that cuckoo numbers have steeply declined and even from areas where they had 'strongholds' before. I just wondered if anyone has ever heard a cuckoo in the Thame or surrounding area or if anyone has any additional knowledge on the subject of their decline and / or the places they may be tending to favour now. Someone local reported that they had heard a cuckoo a few miles away from here earlier this year and a friend about 7 miles away in Dinton, Bucks has heard them this year, also in Brill, Bucks, 6 miles away there was a report last year, but given this it seems odd that they don't appear to be here in Thame.

Many thanks,

Eve

[htcdude]

I don't live that way, but you can always keep an eye on here:

OOS - News

and here:

Oxon Bird Log


Doesn't look like there's been one reported for a while.

Nige

[Birdman1976]

Hey Eve,

I've lived in Chalgrove (just a few miles from Thame) for about 5 years now and this year and last year is the first time i've heard one calling locally on a regular basis. In fact last year was the first time i'd ever actually set eyes on one when i saw one flying on the outskirts of the village. In my experience there are a few about in South Oxon but i've tended to hear them when i've been out fishing or walking along the River Thame or Thames and a couple of times at the reserve in Otmoor. Its certainly not a regular occurance hearing them in the area as it always makes me stop and listen....such a beautiful sound

Hope this helps
Richard

[eve miles]

Hi Richard / all

Thanks very much for the helpful replies. Richard, so good to hear you've heard and seen a cuckoo in Chalgrove this and last year. I will keep an ear or eye out if I'm ever walking along either of the rivers too. A friend of mine in Dinton, Bucks, about 6 miles from here towards Aylesbury on the A418, reports hearing a cuckoo constantly calling this year in the village, and by chance I bumped into a walker along the Pheonix Trail which runs through Thame, Towersey, and on up to Princes Risborough, and he reported hearing a cuckoo this year too whilst walking near Towersey, and he thought it was coming from 'the hills' (Chilterns) near there, so probably somewhere between Towersey and Chinnor. There were also reports on the Oxon Bird Log, which is indeed worth checking, of cuckoos elsewhere in the county, and nightingales singing too. Otmoor does seem to do well for cuckoos, and turtle doves reported there too. So all in all it's not a bad picture. I hope it keeps improving. And one day, maybe, I might hear one in Thame! I'll post it here if do! Thanks,

Eve

[kdaly]

Hi,
a year later than your post, I know, but we heard a cuckoo over the weekend at Brill - closest I've heard to Thame.

Also, am involved in setting up a 'Wild about Thame' group - see page on facebook - 1st meeting next Thursday 17th May 8pm in the Cross keys pub, Thame ( meeting room) - all welcome spread the word. Partly networking to see who else in the Thame area is interested in wildlife / green space/ access / outdoor activities with (or without!) kids - but also with a view to looking to get the best from the Thame neighbourhood plan when the draft is published.

Kath