Cuckoos on the Move as Cyclists Battle Up Saltburn Bank

In the women’s race of the Cleveland Classic, competitors ascend the formidable Saltburn Bank at the first of the event’s four laps.

Cycling here, my ears were tuned keenly for that distinctive call of the first cuckoo of the year. Today marks Cuckoo Day, also known as St. Tiburtius’ Day, traditionally the day when the cuckoo first sings¹‘Brewer’s: Tiburtius’s Day’. 2017. InfoPlease <https://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/tiburtiuss-day> [accessed 14 April 2024]. However, such precision seems rather dubious, considering the varied conditions and arrival times in different regions.

For years, the British Trust for Ornithology has diligently monitored the migratory journey of numerous cuckoos to and from their wintering havens in West Africa. Just two days ago, a cuckoo affectionately named Cuach Torc as it was tagged in Ireland, was spotted in the verdant, agrarian landscapes near the city of Settat, a mere thirty-seven miles south of Casablanca in Morocco²Trust, British. 2019. ‘Updates from Our Cuckoos’, BTO – British Trust for Ornithology <https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/cuckoo-tracking-project/updates-our-cuckoos> [accessed 14 April 2024]. This feathered traveller was leading the pack of tracked birds on their northward flight and likely by now has since crossed into Europe.

• 1
  ‘Brewer’s: Tiburtius’s Day’. 2017. InfoPlease <https://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/tiburtiuss-day> [accessed 14 April 2024]
• 2
  Trust, British. 2019. ‘Updates from Our Cuckoos’, BTO – British Trust for Ornithology <https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/cuckoo-tracking-project/updates-our-cuckoos> [accessed 14 April 2024]