The Cuckoo! What can I say about them? I first heard a Cuckoo on the patch a couple of years back, I'd heard them elsewhere and even caught brief glimpses. I attempted to stalk and photograph them on one of my regular walk locations but they are SO shy and elusive.
This year has been the first time I have seen the Cuckoo on the patch, i have heard it all over the surrounds and may have caught glimpses in the past but, not this year!
My first (almost) clear sighting, I had been walking towards a Willow tree when I spotted a bird fly into it, move around and, as I got closer, fly out and away but I was ready.
Definitely a Cuckoo. It flew off that tree to the fence beyond.
Not great shots but, my first reasonable and clear ID shots, especially on the patch. I tried crossing the reed beds to get closer, knowing how skittish they are and, of course, it fled.
When I took my eye away from the camera, i was pretty certain that a second bird had lifted up and flew behind it! I have spent a few days out walking, looking and listening but it seemed to have hidden and gone quiet, I was beginning to wonder if it (they) had moved on?
Almost exactly one month after that encounter, i was driving along one of the lanes when I saw a bird, a cuckoo flying ahead of me and I never really got a chance for photos and, I was pretty certain there were two.
I went for my walk at a local reservoir and on the drive back down the same lane .... there was a Cuckoo, once again, flying ahead of me. This time I stopped, waited until landed then crept forward in the car.
It landed in a tree overhanging the lane and I was able to open the car door and slowly ease out with the camera.
Finally, what I call decent shots and the pose, location were perfect to me.Of course it didn't like me photographing it and moved on but only to a gate post further along the lane. Once again. I crept forward in the car.
Taken though tall weed but, once again, fairly clean shots of a Cuckoo, enough to get me smiling. I will keep looking, there may / should be young later.
