9 June 2009

During the first week of June, Charles Fleming spent a lot of time watching Cuckoos on Dartmoor, learning much about their behaviour and eventually capturing this excellent photo.

Charles writes: “For the last week I have been watching Cuckoos on Dartmoor, near to the lower path that leads to Sousons from Bennets Cross to be exact. I have a chair hide which has been invaluable. My first encounter was watching a female going about her nest-finding antics as she perched on the heathers and rocks low down in the lee of a hill. As it was late evening, the low bright sun lit her up and she was very clearly visible for 10 minutes or so and I managed to take a few poor photos.

A few days later I went back to the same spot – I know that Cuckoos are territorial and hoped to see her again. No female this time, but from my chair hide I saw and listened to a male singing from a young pine tree, isolated on the hill, about 40 yards away. Again, more poor photos!

This was more than likely the male of this partnership. As I sat there (for two hours) I heard at least four different calling birds. They can be told apart by the pitch of the call, and with a bit of practice I could decipher individual birds. However, the most fascinating noise was made by a bird that settled behind me only some 20 feet away, but in just about the only place that I couldn't see from the hide. As he flew off, apart from the usual "cuck-oo" call, he uttered a whirring/whooshing sound which was really odd and almost frightening as it was so unusual.

The next day, I went back and this time placed my hide further up the valley, near to the tree on which I had seen the male calling. It was nearly 7pm, the time when Cuckoos are most active. After only a few minutes a bird flew over me, very close, and I distinctly heard it "whooshing" again, a really odd and quite loud call. The bird perched quite a distance away and called constantly, with the other males answering from all points of the compass, or so it seemed.

He then flew to my left and I watched him from the side flap of the hide. I had taken my eye off the ball because a female was now right in front of me on the tree on which I had predicted one would land. At first I was mesmerised, so close to a beautiful Cuckoo. As she swayed about on the tree, which could only just support her, I managed, all fingers and thumbs, to get three photos before she flew away down the valley making that now familiar "whooshing" call as she went.

I am thrilled to say that this was one of the best wildlife encounters that I have ever had – made all the better because just a bit of study had led me to make the right choices and enabled me to get really close to a bird that was worth all the effort.”

Thanks, Charles, for both your story and photograph.

Cuckoo – Dartmoor – © Charles Fleming – 4 June 2009