See You Next Year

Undisclosed Site - 17.06.2025

This the last visit of the season, well for me it is, for images of probable our most iconic of summer migrants the Common Cuckoo, now more often see only in favoured locations, gone are the days when I would hear them locally.

Weather conditions over the three visits has been a mixture of rain, sun and overcast conditions giving quite a different look to the images, these taken in sunny cloudy conditions.

As previous the process is the same, it's sunrise as I'm making my way to uncut field with tall waste high grass, a location favoured by Reed Buntings and Sedge Warblers and probable target species of the Cuckoo’s. It’s still quite dark as I make myself comfy in a weathered and worn fabric portable hide, nothing fancy at least it will keep you out of the wind and dry if it rains.

With still plenty of activity with a single dominant male chasing several female's around the area of the field along with the inevitable periods of waiting between the action. Not an extensive post this time but you can read earlier posts if you choose.

Images below of the male bird which was the more elusive, unfortunately not the classic cock tail pose.

Common Cuckoo - male

The next image shows a Sedge Warbler taking exception to this female Cuckoo with more images of the female.

Startmount Goose

Starmount Lodge - 15.06.2025

Not so long back there was an unusual siting on a local park lake of a Red-breasted Goose likely an escapee, twelve months later another unusual appearance this time a Brent Goose more likely seen on a salt marsh again hanging out with Canada's on another local lake, or lodge as they call them in these parts.

Dark breasted Brent Geese breed in Russia, Western Siberia wintering in Western Europe and generally the east side of the UK so a little out of normal range. Recent geese sittings that have enjoyed the local hospitality have been a Pink-foot at Birtle (plenty of fly overs) a Red-breated Goose at Haywood and now a Brent Goose at Little Lever all within five miles travel distance, so with this new unusual turn up it's off for some images.

The last time I was at Starmount Lodge was probably about twenty years ago as a rescue diver on a New Year's Day swim one of the funniest events I've ever witnessed, all the yelps and screams from revellers that thought a cold water dip was a good idea to kick off the new year...bonkers !

It's around eight thirty am the light pretty good, so with the sun behind to get some colour in the water I make my way to where the geese are just milling around in the corner of the lodge. Local fishermen start to arrive and the geese get active moving where I just want then, then a Mute Swan take exception to some goslings and pandemonium breaks out, the Brent Goose takes to the air and I'm thinking it's off surprisingly only to circle and land back on the water.

Now with many walkers along with their dogs the geese head to the middle of the lodge and with a overcast sky and deteriorating light time to call time.

19.06.2025....Visit to Bolton, called in on way, no longer present with Canada's on lodge.

Brent Goose 

A Chance Opportunity

Undisclosed Site - 11.06.2025

It’s now 8.30am the session over for today…really !… I’ve had enough as I’ve been up since 2.30am so I’m well and truly ready for a rest, then in a field next to where I’m parked no more than fifty meters away I note about eight Hare’s chasing each other around a field, as I watch I’m thinking there could be a photo opportunity here, so I get the gear back out of the car and slowly make my way over to the field finding a suitable location under a hedge.

The Hare’s take no notice more interested chasing each other along the edge of the field, some disappear through a gate, but one individual runs straight passed me no more than three meters away, it sits for a few seconds, the camera rattles off a few frames before the Hare continues on it’s run to the far end of the field.

As the temperature warms the Hare’s become less active, they just hunker down and sit. It’s now around 10.0am with little or no further action I call time, I really mean it this time, I’m off to bed.

Hare

Last Of The Rain Shots

Undisclosed Site - 10.06.2025

Another early start in the morning for a session with the Cuckoo’s and the weather is forecast for sun which will give the images a completely different look.

Reviewing the images from last week’s session in overcast heaven rain I’m a little surprised how many “keepers” I seem to have, the wonders of modern day mirrorless cameras. So before I head off I thought I’d post a last few "dark' rain images.

Images below are of the female, the male only visiting once whist I was there. Looking forward to something completley different tomorrow and I believe the temperature could exceed 20 degrees…wow !

Common Cuckoo - female

Special Encounter

Undisclosed Site - 03.06.2025 

Most years I always try get at least one session with one of our most iconic of summer migrants the Common Cuckoo before they head off back to their winter areas of Africa.

During the session I witnessed something I hadn't seen previously, the mating male and female Cuckoo, it only lasted about what seems to have been about five seconds, then all to soon it was over. 

Getting the lens on the action with just a little delay I managing about a two second burst, I wasn’t even sure the camera system had managed to get focus, in the end I had about a fifty percent success rate.

As this was such a special event, these are the images that were worth posting…

Common Cuckoo - mating male & female

Rain Rain Rain

Undisclosed Site - 03.06.2025

It’s an early start when I set off this morning, dark and hammering it down with rain. A hours drive later I arrive at my location it’s a little lighter but the rain still persists the sky heavy with menacing dark clouds, I’m not optimistic for any success, but never say never.

I’m sat in “cosy” two man fabric hide that's seen better days in the middle of a field, it’s still raining hard the wind buffering the hide which keeps crashing into me, occasional rain drips on my head, there’s no swivel chairs with cushions like I’ve seen on YouTube recently that’s a different reality and not the experience I’m after…but it’s ok.

The light conditions as you would expect being very early morning with a heavy overcast sky is poor, compromises will require to shoot super slow, the positives Cuckoo’s are likely just sit especially in heavy rain.

Soon a female is seen making a b-line across the field and lands on a near vantage point, flight shots today are off the agenda so it's static shots only. In the poor weather I’m unsure how much activity I’m likely to get and for how long so when the opportunity presents I rattle off the a load of images, as they say....make hay while the sun shine…did I really say that !

After a quiet period a female returns, might be the same one, to my amazement a male follows chasing the female the female landing on a post, the male takes his opportunity zooming in and mates, it only last maybe 2-3 seconds so was easy to miss but I did manage a two second burst, some shots missed but also some keepers.

Below are some of the many shots taken, but I’ll be back next week hopefully in different conditions.

Common Cuckoo - male

Common Cuckoo - female

Mating Male & Female Cuckoo

Back to the Clot

Clot de Galvany - 20.05.2025

Five miles from Alicante Airport in the development of Grand Alicant is a small nature reserve called Clot de Galvany, usually when picking up or dropping off at the airport I always try to visit spending a couple of hours, the list of species that can be seen is impressive.

The "Clot" is one of those locations where you really need a “big white” prime lens, all I have with me today is the 100-500mm zoom but the benefits of a light weight setup is working fine for me.

It must be three years since my last visit hence I’ve landed up parking way further down the road which's runs alongside the reserve than I intended, but at least it’s next to a couple cafes bars ideal for post visit refreshment. 

Finding the entrance is never easy in the never ending perimeter fence, but at least it’s then only a short walk to the two small charca's (pools) each having a hide shown at the bottom of the map. Usually the left pool is overgrown with extensive reed beds the right pool being more open and always best. It’s quiet, probably a combination of the midday heat and the fact it's late in the migration and well in to the breeding season. 

Marbled Duck (Teal) an endangered species in Spain with only 70 breeding pairs, a few pairs of Red-crested Pochard, the ever squabbling Coot and vocal Little Grebes are all the contenders. Usually you can see several species of smaller Squacco, Night Herons and it’s a good location to see migratory ducks like Ferrugenus and Garganey Ducks.

Public hides in Spain to me are somewhat odd, being open backed with just a slatted front, roof and sides so your silhouette is aways visible to the wildlife, for some wary species if your seen they keep well away, but at least it's out of the sun and if it rains....dry.

As this was an ad-hoc late in the season visit it’s been lean picking so I’m off for a coffee and enjoy the sunshine, until the next time.

Clot de Galvany - Reserve Map

Hide - Right Side Pool

Very different to what we have in the UK, at least it keeps the sun off and dry when the heavens open up.

Hide View - Right Side Pool

Red-crested Pochard

Recently hatch young, I believe there were three. Common breeder in the region.

Marbled Duck or Teal

Endangered species in Spain with only about 70 breeding pairs, a few surrounding reserves like El Hondo have breeding programs in operation. Hole nesters using provided boxes. 

Red-eared Terrapin or Slider

Invasive species in Spain from North America released back to the wild by unwanted owners. Competes with the indigenous Iberian Pond Terrapin which is mainly all pale brown colour