Last Thursday I had been fortunate enough to watch a female Cuckoo in the process of nest finding. I had been pleased to watch her as it’s not that usual to get really good views of cuckoos. I was even more pleased when I had a look at the few distant photos to see that it was one of the “rufous/brown” form of females. Males a grey as you know and most females also, but now and again there are brown coloured females and this individual was one of these. The next opportunity I had to go out to the moor was 5 days later on Tuesday and I was excited when I set up my hide that gave me a good view of the area in front of me where I had seen the hen the previous Thursday. I didn’t get a good view in front but to my left and up the valley a male cuckoo perched and began to call. Then later another bird or probably the same one was in that area. I decided that when I returned I would place my hide near to that little tree as it seemed to be a calling tree for at least one male anyway.
So Wednesday arrived and my plan was to focus on the “calling tree”. The idea that I might get a good photo really excited me and I set up the hide only some 20 feet from the tree. I got myself set up and started the wait. After only a short while a male cuckoo flew over my head as if to go to the tree but instead circled and landed on a more distant bush and started to call. As he flew over me I heard the other strange call that cuckoos make. To describe it, image if you were to ask someone to imitate the noise a boomerang would make as it whirred in the air. It is a really weird sound and not one I have heard before to my knowledge. He disappeared after a while and another bird. or the same one was calling to my left. The hide has a convenient flap on each side and I was looking through at the bird 75 yards away. Basically, I had taken my eye off the ball because the female pictured above had settled on the tree as predicted. I was only just ready and managed to get three shots before she flew off up the valley to carry on with her dirty deeds also making that strange sound that I had heard the male making. As you can see it is probably the bird seen last Thursday. Cuckoos are territorial so that would figure. A male never did arrive on the tree but I was happy enough. In fact I had an immense feeling of satisfaction. Yet again I had done a bit of study and a bit of prep and predicted where my best chances were and it had come true.