\n Males are the first to return, and they waste no time announcing their presence loudly as they establish territories and attract females.\n<\/p>\n
\n The cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) has a grey head, barred underparts, and a bright yellow eye-ring.\n<\/p>\n
\n Sleek and falcon-like, it has pointed wings that droop slightly when perched and a long, graduated tail.\n<\/p>\n
\n Cuckoo (Image: Jon Hawkins\/Surrey Hills Photography)\n<\/p>\n
\n It gives an uncanny resemblance to a sparrowhawk in flight, and the two are often confused – look at the tail to help distinguish between them.\n<\/p>\n
\n The cuckoo has an extraordinary breeding behaviour.\n<\/p>\n
\n Rather than building a nest, cuckoos are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds such as reed warblers, meadow pipits, and dunnocks.\n<\/p>\n
\n The female waits patiently for her moment, often when the host is away, before swiftly laying a single egg.\n<\/p>\n
\n Remarkably, these eggs often closely resemble those of their host species.\n<\/p>\n
\n Once hatched, the young cuckoo wastes no time.\n<\/p>\n
\n Using a remarkable instinct, it pushes other eggs or chicks out of the nest, ensuring it receives all the food its unsuspecting foster parents bring.\n<\/p>\n
\n Its loud begging call mimics a whole brood of chicks, prompting the adults to work tirelessly, even as the young cuckoo grows far larger than they are.\n<\/p>\n
\n Cuckoos are also valuable insect hunters, feeding largely on invertebrates, with hairy caterpillars a particular favourite – prey avoided by many other birds.\n<\/p>\n
\n Cuckoos are long-distance travellers, spending the winter in sub-Saharan Africa before returning to the UK in spring.\n<\/p>\n
\n Their stay is short-lived: many adult cuckoos begin their return journey south as early as late June, with young birds following weeks later on an instinctive migration to Africa.\n<\/p>\n
\n Sadly, the cuckoo\u2019s call is no longer as widespread as it once was.\n<\/p>\n
\n Declines in UK populations are linked to habitat loss, pressures on their host species, and challenges along migration routes.\n<\/p>\n
\n Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust works to drive nature\u2019s recovery by restoring and protecting vital habitats, from reedbeds and wetlands to woodlands and grazing marshes, supporting cuckoos and the species they depend on.\n<\/p>\n
\n By restoring these habitats at scale and creating richer, more connected landscapes, the Trust is helping ensure that this much-loved sound of spring continues to echo across our countryside for years to come.\n<\/p>\n
\n Find out more about how to support the Trust by joining as a member on the Trust website: hiwwt.org.uk\/support-us<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n Nature at home \u2014 the ghost orchid of the woods.<\/p>\n \n Hidden beneath the shady floor of ancient woodland, the bird\u2019s-nest orchid is one of nature\u2019s strangest plants.\n<\/p>\n \n Lacking chlorophyll, it survives by gaining its nutrients through underground fungal networks linked to tree roots.\n<\/p>\n \n It\u2019s often found under beech trees from May to July.\n<\/p>\n \n Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is driving nature\u2019s recovery by restoring and protecting habitats, including ancient woodlands, which support species such as the bird\u2019s-nest orchid.\n<\/p>\n \n Help save nature\u2019s weird and wonderful woodland secrets by becoming a member of the Trust.\n<\/p>\n \n Membership is from just \u00a32.25 a month and includes Wild magazine three times a year.\n<\/p>\nNature at home the ghost orchid (Image: Mike Read)\n<\/p>\n