May 15th

I can't ever remember going through April before without hearing the call of the Cuckoo but this year I did just that, in fact I heard my first just this morning from across the fields opposite our home. With the wind backed off to the north-west many birds that may have taken advantage of yesterday's south-westerlies to assist them on their northbound migration will have stopped off, as was no doubt the case with a male and female Wheatear I watched along the fence by Lower Farm's meadows. They were actively feeding in order to replace energy expended on the journey thus far.