Kuckucksnest

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 All face partner and dance ½ Grand Chain, no hands (6 bars), all set to partner
9-16 Repeat 1-8
17-24 Ladies dance RH across while Men chase clockwise ½ round; all turn 'new partner' 1½ LH to bring Men into centre
25-32 Men dance RH across while Ladies chase anticlockwise ½ round; all turn partner 1¼ LH to form square set again. 3412 (all opposite original place)
33-40 1s+3s both hands joined slip across (Ladies pass BtoB) while 2s+4s stamp x3 or set; 2s+4s repeat, 1s+3s stamp x3 or set; repeat back to places
41-48 All polka clockwise once round set and face partner. 3412
49-64 "Drambuie Chain": all Advance (1) Pas de Valse, take partner's RH then Retire (1) PdeV, cross RH with partner to meet next person; repeat 3 more times, Ladies face out. 3412
65-80 Schiehallion Reels (16 bars), finish with partner in Allemande hold facing anticlockwise
81-88 All promenade anticlockwise 1¼ round, drop RH
89-96 Ladies followed by their partners chase ¾ round clockwise to 4123 (4 bars); all circle 8H round to right. 1234

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

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Dance Information

The phrase can carry both a literal meaning, referring to a cuckoo's nest, and a metaphorical one, often used to describe a place that is strange, chaotic, or unsettling, much like its use in English.

Renowned for its distinctive 'cuck-oo' call, the species has a unique reproductive strategy known as brood parasitism, where it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species.​

Measuring approximately 32–34 cm in length with a wingspan of 55–60 cm, the Common Cuckoo has a slender body, long tail, and greyish plumage. Males are typically slate-grey, while females may exhibit a rufous (reddish-brown) morph. The species' appearance closely resembles that of the sparrowhawk, a resemblance that may deter potential host birds from attacking.​

The Common Cuckoo is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species such as dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers. The female cuckoo's eggs mimic the appearance of the host's eggs, reducing the likelihood of detection. Upon hatching, the cuckoo chick often ejects the host's eggs or chicks from the nest, ensuring it receives all the parental care and food.​

Primarily insectivorous, the Common Cuckoo feeds on a variety of insects, with a particular preference for hairy caterpillars, which are unpalatable to many other bird species. This dietary choice helps control populations of certain pest insects.​

The species arrives in Europe around April and departs by September, undertaking a long-distance migration to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. While widespread, the Common Cuckoo's population has experienced declines in some regions, notably in England, where numbers have decreased significantly. Conversely, populations in Scotland have shown some increases.​

Globally, the Common Cuckoo is classified as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, regional declines have led to increased conservation attention in certain areas, including the UK, where the species is now red-listed due to significant population decreases.

Common Cuckoo

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