Spring herald: the Cuckoo

The cuckoo is a familiar herald of the British spring time with its loud resonant voice echoing over the woods and fields but in recent years, numbers of this enigmatic bird are in decline. While still numerous in some areas, in many others it is disappearing or has gone from the landscape. Today I was fortunate to be able to photograph one of three birds in an area of small conifers as the males displayed and bickered with each other in an effort to attract a mate. The local meadow pipit population, whom the cuckoo regularly uses as unsuspecting hosts, was not as impressed with their presence as I was! Although many non-birdwatchers are familiar with the call of the cuckoo, far fewer actually know what a handsome bird it is.

cuckoo on fir tree