Nature's trick

For the last couple of years I have wanted to see and photograph a Chestnut-winged cuckoo. They are stunning birds.

The call is a double-piping note, given over and over again and followed by a cackling call occasionally. This morning I could hear one nearby but after scanning for several minutes decided it was buried deep in the foliage, not destined to reveal itself. I went back into my study and sat at the computer, doing moth records from the previous night.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a large bird land in our tree, no more than 10' away from me. It was the Chestnut-winged cuckoo. For the first time in months there was no camera in the room. I gazed at the bird in amazed delight. I was for a few seconds a real "twitcher". It flew and as I raced up the stairs to tell a totally disinterested wife, it landed in a tree across the road. From the top floor of the house I grabbed a 400mm lens and fired 2 record shots before the bird flew. I probably have half the bird visible at a long distance. Oh well, half the dream achieved.

My wife's comment? "I thought it was an alarm clock bleeping somewhere." Aaargh!

But isn't nature wonderful? For 2 years or so I have tried to find the bird and today it found me.