Cuckoo Trail Spring Wildlife Spotter
Seasonal spotter guide on the Cuckoo Trail.
There are lots of plants and animals to spot on the Cuckoo Trail throughout the year.
See how many you can find in Spring!
Cuckoo
A rare, greyish coloured bird with yellow legs and eyes, swept back wings and a long tail which spends the winter in Africa. Extra bonus points if you spot (or hear one) as this bird gave the trail its name!
Frogspawn
A jelly-like substance found in ponds and wet areas. Female frogs normally lay 3000 eggs in one go. The black dot in the centre of each egg will turn into a tadpole, which will then then grow legs and change into a frog.
Blackthorn blossom
Blackthorn is one of the first shrubs (small trees) to flower in the spring. The flowers are creamy-white, star-shaped and have 5 petals and the bark is almost black in colour.
St Mark's fly
A very small, black, shiny fly which can be seen around St. Mark’s day-on April 25th. They have dangly legs and can often be seen hovering in the air in a group.
Bluebell
Carpets of these beautiful, protected flowers, also known as fairy flowers, can be spotted in wooded areas. Bees rely heavily on the flowers’ nectar
in the spring. Sometimes they
‘steal’ it by biting a hole in the
bottom of the bell. Extra points
if you can find a rare “albino” or white bluebell!
Wild garlic
You will probably smell this plant before you see it. It has starry-white flowers, can be found in damp areas and is related to the onion. Cats really dislike this plant!
Early purple orchid
A reptile with mainly brownish-grey dry, scaly skin between 10 and 15cm in length. Lizards are coldblooded so look for them on warm days basking in sunny spots. They are also excellent climbers.
