Where did all the cuckoos go in Kirklees?

May 29 2009 by Katie Grant, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HAVE you heard a cuckoo’s call recently?

If so, you are one of the lucky few, because the distinctive birds are rapidly declining in Kirklees.

Nationally the birds have been listed as the most threatened, by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Tim Melling, a conservation officer for RSPB in Denby Dale, said he hasn’t seen or heard a cuckoo in Denby Dale for almost five years.

He said: “That doesn’t mean they are totally gone from the area, but they are in decline.

“I was up at Stocksmoor the other day and I saw a cuckoo – it called for about 10 minutes and then vanished.”

The popular Marsden Cuckoo Day is held every April and marks the beginning of spring.

According to local legend, the villagers realised that when the cuckoos arrived, so did the sunshine.

So they tried to prolong the bird’s stay by building a wall around its nest.

Mr Melling believes that spring coming early is causing the rapid decline.

The Shepley man said this is ultimately down to climate change.

He explained: “The cuckoos usually arrive in England from Africa in mid-April.

“I’m sure people will have noticed that spring is getting earlier and earlier these days.

“Resident birds such as the meadow pippits can adjust and lay their eggs earlier.”