Short-ARS goes cuckoo

Regular readers will know that the absence of cuckoos in Audlem and district has been a subject of debate in recent weeks. Where have these elusive summer visitors gone – not a cuckoo to be heard in Audlem in recent years.

Fortunately, they have been heard at Bickerton Hills to the west and Hanchurch Hills to the east.

Yesterday, the Short-ARS (Audlem Ramblers Society) walk headed off to the Hanchurch Hills, just twenty miles or so to the east of Audlem. A mile into the walk, just where a cuckoo had been heard a few days ago, the elusive bird was heard again.

And then, on a branch rising prominently out of the foliage, a large almost hawk-like bird was seen. Binoculars were focussed and, yes, it was a cuckoo, clear to view. It even did a pirouette on the branch so it could be viewed from all angles. They still exist, and not too far away.

Local hikers confirmed that they were a regular sight in the Hanchurch Hills. All in the ARS group who saw this increasingly rare bird were delighted with their 'spot', a highlight of a delightful five mile circuit by ARS of a beautiful stretch of nearby countryside.

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