Oriental Cuckoo (7/7)

CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae

Cuculus optatus  

Sometimes you need help to see a "Bogey Bird", in this case an Oriental Cuckoo.

I was birding at Anstead Bush Reserve hoping to find an Oriental Cuckoo. I bumped into Lloyd Bullock who had seen and photographed one yesterday and we chatted for a while as we photographed some koels in a courtship display. Lloyd had not seen any cuckoos this morning and we went our separate ways.

Twenty minutes later a lovely lady on a white horse trotted up to me and said "Are you Geoff?" to which I replied "Yes". "Lloyd said to tell you he has seen the bird and photographed it", the Lovely lady said. "He is on the main track around the other side of the reserve where you turn left". I thanked her and scurried off to where I thought she meant but no Lloyd or bird in sight. Fifteen minutes later I ran into the lovely lady again and she gave me clearer instructions saying that she had seen Lloyd again and he was going home.

I scurried to the right place this time and as I arrived a bird flew onto a distant branch. I took one photo and it was gone. I checked my photo - YES! an Oriental Cuckoo!. I rang Lloyd and he said sorry about missing me but when he checked his photo the bird he had seen was not an Oriental Cuckoo at all! I laughed and said 'don't worry by the time I turned up, one had shown up anyway'.

Life is strange and sometimes you need help to see a Bogey Bird. Thanks Lloyd!