I finally gave in today and drove down to Thursley Common in Surrey to spend some time with the returning Cuckoo that's taken a liking to having his diet supplemented by the locals. The merits of feeding it I'll leave for others to debate but although I took no food with me there was a supply of caterpillar.
I arrived early but it took me about 90 minutes to find the field that the Cuckoo uses to feed despite following the calls of another bird for about a mile in the wrong direction.
I enjoyed Stonechat, Redstart, Woodlark, Wood Warbler, Hobby and Buzzard to name a few before finally arriving at the correct field to find the Cuckoo sitting perched up in front of the five photographers already enjoying it.
I managed a few quick shots before it flew off and despite waiting three hours the bird didn't return.
So in five hours on site I had about five minutes of the Cuckoo but enough to fire off a few rounds.
Lizards and a single Adder were also seen whilst waiting for the bird and a Redstart kept us entertained at close quarters.
I popped into Frensham Common but failed to find the Red-foot through a complete lack of effort if I'm honest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-laXGc5Kyv4WTuyK0rWMdWG2r6dqK7VbTDdWgDb_vHwRji45RJhn6p2MZbOQkokBE5UCVqVYtsHIQugRAXOw_Yb-3-f3Iqi2gfyxylllCfCXasPnyc1cjX7WA24huLGaBHxarw1QuR3k/s640/Cuckoo+at+Thursley+Common+aa.jpg) |
Cuckoo at Thursley Common |
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Cuckoo |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGsoNQmT6wZsiPPCukvVdMhc0q1-voFdO8_mpeojep2EO1c5LuUbwBSdHDG_cPvT7kMDMEmn_NlcQGUtm_nKAaSByLImq88y_hgCRFUa4MdFGBSY1f_RhrOEETgLl0BBSi8CQasHkuDfP/s640/Redstart+10.jpg) |
Redstart |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGx-oHXwOJRlnlApD1TnTA4MTb2pPbHm4eXkEbgczZ_EOuwO85QTIkX3fJ4Z7hx1wSNrZYjcINPuGtY5SW1myzwtZPwMfGFUTbU2Dz2PAjygGJLflj6Wl-N6ysTEsJiEEBQGqqVU9s-QcJ/s640/Redstart+11.jpg) |
Redstart |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioToSx2vfT5CqI9RzOTK_0ikRzae4t7GLpZj19tPi4l034ErQxeyKqgmpSMcJGG85nzy5ztbRuJeGLTrAxQZjx6Ss0ivVJFeZ0C1OJ7BRnsEcmr8F_ehkpjymhLOiYq2niTcVT7ZBmvoRe/s640/Stonechat.jpg) |
Stonechat |