DATES OF THE FIRST CUCKOO IN SPRING 1916-2003

Harry Green

We reported in Worcestershire Record No 11 November 2001 the remarkable series of cuckoo first-dates records collected Moorgate Road, Stoke Prior by the Honeybourne family since 1916. Recording has continued since our last report and Dorothy Honeybourne phoned recently to give me the more recent dates which are:
2001 30 April
2002 1 May
2003 6 May
Generally cuckoos were heard in Worcestershire about two weeks before the 2002 dates. However the numbers of cuckoos in the county are now much reduced so the likelihood of recording the first Worcestershire cuckoo in any year at Moorgate Road is low! Nevertheless Dorothy and Margaret Honeybourne had their front door open for during much of the warm and sunny weather during April.