Swarovski 80HD Nikon CP995

Habitat	Behaviour	Female

Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus 33cm

Every now and then, persistence (with a little luck) pays off and you encounter something rare and unusual while out for a days bird watching.

The Cuckoos habit of hijacking other birds nests and parenting skills is something that most of us know about, but few of us have witnessed.

This juvenile female cuckoo was encountered in the woodland at Belvide Reservoir. About the only outward sign of it's young age are the remnants of white down still showing on the back of the head. What really gives it away though, is the attendant pair of unfortunate Dunnocks who are being worked flat out trying to keep up with the interlopers appetite.

We watched this spectacle for about an hour, before watching the cuckoo disappear into the woodland followed by its attentive foster parents.