Heard my first cuckoo of the year this morning. (Derby/Notts/Leics border.) Sang like something possessed for about twenty minutes and then nothing. Last year it was mid-May before I heard one. I hope it's a good omen.
Oooh that's interesting..... we haven't heard yet, and we normally get a good old alarm call. Will let you know! (Hampshire)
Heard one over this way, but I reckon they are on the look out for a nest to lay in now.
Had one about here for a couple of days too.
I heard our first one on the 18th but they're only calling in the evenings at the moment so I might have missed a day or two.
It was the 18th last year too but this year the swifts arrived a week or so earlier and that's supposed to indicate a hot summer to come. All I know is we're currently having the same heat and drought that we had last April and that was followed by a cold and soggy May June and July and then a searing heatwave up to 38C in late August.