Somerset Ornithological Society - Bird News
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Cuckoo

This morning after i had just arrived at work,Piddle valley, a bird flew through our water meadows and landed on the wall of the vegetable garden. it looked like a raptor but i wasn,t sure because of it,s head. I saw it again that morning and tried to get a better look but it was quite evasive. I managed to get a closer look just as i was leaving through a pair of bins and although it was hiding behind a large branch i could see barred markings on the tail feathers which has led me to believe it was a cuckoo. Two years ago in the same spot about the same time of year we had one stay for three days, feeding in the water meadows. There are lots of caterpillars on the nettles at the moment so i guess there is plenty of food to be had.

Re: Cuckoo

Two cuckoos feeding along the meadows now,showing well all week. They are working the grass that has been cut for hay and use the power lines as perches,dropping to the ground every few minutes catching caterpillars. They are not as timid as they were at the start of the week and i have been able to get quite close,guess they are feeding up before migration.

Re: Cuckoo

Two cuckoos still showing well all day today. I thought they had gone but saw them after 9am. One is still working the water meadow while the other seems to spend a lot of its time near our woodland, occasionally coming out to the meadow to feed. I was able to get within 20 meters of the bird perched on the power lines,such a lovely experience as i have not heard a cuckoo in these parts for over three years. This is the fifth consecutive day they have been about.