School: Bóthar Mór, Caherconlish (roll number 8342)

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1. Migratory Birds

   

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   The migratory birds peculiar to this country are, the cuckoo, corncrake, swallow and wild geese.
   The cuckoo is the most welcome of those, because when she comes we know that summer is near. She is a grey bird somewhat like a pigeon. She builds no nest but lays one blue egg which she puts into the hedgesparrows nest. Here is a rhyme concerning this:

   The cuckoo makes no nest at all,
   But through the wood she strays
   Until she finds one snug and war,
   And there her egg she lays

   When the young birds are hatched, the young cuckoo throws the birds from the nest and takes all the food for herself. She flies through the air singing Cuckoo Cuckoo. There is a saying that if you hear her call in the left ear, it is a bad sign and if in the right ear, it is a good sign.

   The cuckoo comes in April,
   He sings his song in May
   In the middle of June, he whistles his tune
   In July he flies away
   When the young birds are hatched, the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. animal-lore (~1,185)
         1. bird-lore (~2,478)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Agnes Stacke

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Bohermore, Co. Limerick

   Informant

   Mrs Stacke

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   50

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Srahane East, Co. Limerick