Guess who is calling in Clooncraff this morning?

The Cuckoo!

Yes, heard loud and clear on the Ciorcal Cluain Creamha (Clooncraff Circle Walk).

Hearing the cuckoo is a cause of celebration as it is becoming an increasingly rare sound. Cuckoo numbers in Ireland have dropped 50% in the past 30 years.

The cuckoo comes to Kilteevan from central and southern Africa from mid April onwards and leaves again at the end of summer.

Adult cuckoos head south from late July onwards while the young birds follow in August and September. It’s one of nature’s mysteries how the young birds know where to go when they head off on their long journey.

The cuckoo’s diet is mainly caterpillars and insects

Only the male makes the distinctive “cuc koo cuc.koo” call.

The female call is a distinctive “pupupupu” call.

The Burren and Connemara hold the highest density of breeding pairs.

So open your windows in Kilteevan,  be still, listen and celebrate our natural heritage and the wonderful biodiversity we enjoy by living here.

19th April  2015