Allotments 4 All

heard the cuckoo this afternoon down at our lottie a little early i think ;D

Perhaps a little early, but it's almost April. I once camped under a thorn tree on Arran, and discovered that a cuckoo used it all the time. It started at 5am, and you wouldn't believe the volume.

 :-\ Always used to hear the cuckoo each year, always seemed to mark the start of spring/summer so was a welcome sign!! Sadly have not heard the cuckoo for a couple of years?? Also used to be visited regularly by hedgehogs but sadly have not seen a sign of them for sometime..... cannot think what has happened. I do live next to a field that is used for crops and was not sure if the pesticides or fertilizers that are sprayed regularly by the farmer could have something to do with the decline of maybe both of these species??

Adult Cuckoo's arrive in late March or April and depart in July or August, with young birds leaving a month or so later

I have heard the cuckoo every year at our caravan.For me it starts the summer season as seeing the geese in flight in October mark the end of the season.

We once had a whole family of hedgehogs next to our caravan bit I have not seen any for a long time.I blame the builders who purchased the large old house behind us and demolished it and built several smaller houses.
We are losing to many of our green spaces.

 :-\Totally agree betula they seem to be building houses in every little bit of available land.....  I live in the countryside and have lived here for 28 years now and so many areas of greenbelt have disappeared over the years due to new homes being built. I know full well that we need extra housing but its so sad to see how much of the countryside is disappearing!! Including the loss of wildlife......