Great spotted Cuckoo Portland

I picked up Jim this morning and we headed down to Dorset in darkness covering the 168 miles without drama and arriving on site at around 6.45am to find six other birders had arrived already. I walked up the road to the allotments checking all the bushes without joy before returning to the area that the bird had been seen in yesterday. After a while news arrived that two birders had located the bird at the top of the road just after the allotment so we headed up with a group now numbering around fifteen and quickly found the target with a nesting Blackbird helping our quest as it showed it's displeasure at the Cuckoo sitting in the bush. Eventually the Cuckoo gave in and flew back to the bottom of the hill to feed on the caterpillars again and it was here we sat and enjoyed it for an hour or so keeping a decent distance we managed to get plenty of new arriving birders on target before the bird flew off high towards the observatory where it was reported for the rest of the day.

One of the best birds on my slow growing life list and one I've wanted to see for a few years now so I'm well pleased we took the gamble and made the effort this morning.

Year list now 238
Life list now 373

Great-spotted Cuckoo at Portland

Great spotted Cuckoo

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Showing well!

Great Spot!

Raven

Raven