Pauline Upstone heard a cuckoo on the 19th April while walking by a backwater of the Thames between Long Wittenham and Appleford villages near Didcot.

She said, “I wasn’t particularly listening out, but walking on my own near my home due to social distancing.

“The path by the river isn’t used much because the nettles come up, but they weren’t yet very high and it was such a lovely day to walk by this backwater.

It was about 10.30 am and I heard it only twice and didn’t see the bird, but I feel sure it was a cuckoo, as there are collared doves often in my garden, and the cuckoo sounds distinctive.”