Cuckoo and Turtle Dove

Yesterday (Tuesday) a photo was sent to Herts Bird Club of a Little Bittern taken on Sunday by a non-birder who didn't realise the rarity of his find! LGRE immediately headed off to see if it was still there yesterday, but no luck. No news up to mid-morning, so I decided to head up to Ashwell to hopefully find a Turtle Dove. No luck I'm afraid, so headed for RSPB Fowlmere instead.

Heard a Cuckoo, then heard a Turtle Dove, traced the Turtle Dove to a bare tree and got some reasonable shots. Headed off towards the Reedbed Hide with the hope I'd get a better shot of the Turtle Dove. The Cuckoo now sounded closer, couldn't see it initially but got a quick view of it in flight going back to where I'd been. Headed back but still couldn't see it. The Turtle Dove was still there, but it was the Cuckoo I was trying to find now. Then there's the Cuckoo in flight and it lands in the Turtle Dove tree! Magic - Cuckoo & Turtle Dove in the same photo - cracking. Eventually went to the Reedbed hide, but nothing more of note and finally went home after an excellent birding day - well pleased.

Well pleased that was until I picked up my emails. The Little Bittern had been found at Stockers Lake and had been showing well to those that were there. Back in the car and in half an hour I'm at Stockers Lake. I arrived around 16:30 only to hear the bird had been last seen at 14:45. I hung around till 19:30, there was a very brief flight sighting around 17:30 by a few people, but I cut my losses and headed home. Not a good end to what had been an excellent day. Hey ho, never mind a Cuckoo and a Turtle Dove in the same tree, that's not exactly bad.

Check out RCB's Blip for a Yellowhammer he caught in the bath and whatever you do, don't check out the fabulous photos of the Little Bittern by those that didn't dip out.