Up and out onto the clifftop early this morning (as as been the case for more times than I can count in recent weeks), and a resplendent Carr Naze was bathed in sunshine above the sparkling bay; seemingly nothing doing bird-wise however until an unfamiliar, short, sharp, buzzing call swirled around in the wind. Finch, bunting maybe?
After frantically scanned the skies to no avail, I glanced at the stone interp sign next me - the culprit revealing itself as a just fledged, juvenile Cuckoo....
... with a Meadow Pipit parent in close attendance. I managed a good minute or two alone with them until human disturbance inevitably arrived, and after pondering recently how I've not actually seen a Cuckoo yet this year, I left feeling very lucky to get this one-off experience on my morning wander.
Because of their notorious ecology, Cuckoos often get a bad rap, but they're incredible birds in many different ways - not least their epic migrations. There are various projects on the go uncovering their secrets, but I'd recommend having a look here at Terry's fantastic Beijing Cuckoo Project - prepare to be amazed....
