Yet more birds have arrived onto Otmoor. I heard, and was even lucky enough to see my first Cuckoo of the year on the 23rd April. Just a couple of weeks on and they seem to be ‘cuckooing’ from every hedge. The fact you can hear and see Cuckoo’s on Otmoor is very special. They are one of the fastest declining migrants in the UK. Sadly, we have lost over ½ of our breeding pairs in the last 25 years.
Another migrant from Africa that has suffered in recent years is the Turtle Dove. Smaller than a collard dove, the Turtle Dove is beautifully coloured and has an unmistakeable ‘purr’. The first sighting was on Friday last week (4th May). More recent sightings of this lovely bird have been from the Bridleway. Keep us posted of where and when you see them :)
Check out the interesting research the RSPB and others are doing on the Turtle Dove through Martin Harper's blog.