Has the cuckoo been heard around Mayo yet to signal summer?

by Auld Stock

THE old Irish people believed summer hadn’t arrived until the sound of the cuckoo was heard.

The same applies to the corncrake. I have not made acquaintance with either species of the birds in many years.

Something strange is happening with wildlife in this country. When I was a young buck the bullfinch was a regular visitor to our garden.

What has happened to this beautiful bird?

God only knows.

The cuckoo made its appearance in Kerry last week.

The bird was tagged and it was discovered it had travelled many thousands of miles.

We often speak about the men who landed on the moon. Those astronauts had the latest equipment, radar and so on.

The cuckoos landing in Kerry had no such equipment.

So how did they manage flying thousands of miles before touching down in Kerry?

It’s a mystery really.

Us humans think we are a smart lot.

We are inclined to get too big for boots.

The cuckoo can teach us a thing or two.

Especially when it comes to long distance travel.