Worth the wait!

Mick Davis and I headed for the first summer GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO in Pembrokeshire Tenby Giltar Point (Wales) yesterday. All was going well the Cuckoo had been reported nice and early and continued to come up on RBA "showing well" Get in! We were half an hour away from site when there was a report saying the bird flew south across to a near by Island and appeared to land. This was slightly worrying but we continued to press on. 

As we arrived we were greeted by a mixture of happy and annoyed birders (the happy ones being the lot that had seen it!) we found out on site the reason the bird flew across to the island was because surprise surprise a couple of individuals decided they wanted to get closer than everyone else and spooked the bird. Mick had just driven 4 and half hours and we both decided to was far to far to just turn around straight away so we stuck it out! Whilst waiting there was little of note a few RAZORBILLS and GULLIEMOTS  out to sea followed by a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. Mick and I had been waiting three hours and both decided things didn't look good and that we were only going to give it another half an hour before we headed of. Suddenly I got on a very quick low flying bird darting around the the hills and low vegetation. I quickly got the bins on the target and to my relief it was the GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO.  Few birders got on the Cuckoo in flight, in fact it was only me, Mick and one other birder that managed it so everyone was eager to know where it appeared to land. Mick picked it up on a near by clump of gorse which was when everyone came running! 

In the end good views were enjoyed by all and we spent a good hour and a half with GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. Mick managed to get some decent shots          

    All three shots above were taken by

    MICK DAVIS.

           My effort with the IPhone 4