Cuckoo encounter

When I saw this chap fly in, I was watching it because I thought it was a bird of prey.  I took some photos of its back and wondered if it was a sparrow hawk but something didn’t seem quite right.  After a fair few clicks, I was starting to wonder if I was photographing a slim dove.

But then the little fella turned round and you can imagine my delight. And my grin!

There was actually a pair of them and I’d wandered in this direction as I was sure, before we went on holiday, that there were calls coming from this vicinity.  Sure enough!

I had a number of good sightings from my hideout behind a wall.  They flew around quite a bit.  I’ve since read that they lay up to 25 eggs in separate nests so I’m wondering if they were stalking.  

I think on the photo, the cuckoo is face to face with a thrush which seemed purely by accident as it was getting chased there by a jackdaw.

I shall be back up there!