Great Spotted Cuckoo

I decided to go to Portland to see the Great Spotted Cuckoo last weekend but things transpired against me, so all week I have been hoping it would still be there this weekend.
With a few emails sent out about the Cuckoo I arranged to meet another Dorset birder Terry Elborn this Saturday and we went for the bird. We set off at about 7.30 am and made good time and as we were driving in to Portland we were discussing the best place to try for the bird. I had received some information from one of the emails I sent out telling me that the Cuckoo was usually seen early morning in Reap Lane. On arriving at the lane there was only two birders there but the best news was the Cuckoo was in the scrub also  I managed to get the bins on him before he went into cover.
The Cuckoo spent a bit of time feeding on caterpillars and showing briefly before coming out in the open giving cracking views .

Great Spotted Cuckoo

I like this picture but the small twig  blocking the head and eye area spoils the look.

After watching the Cuckoo for a while it took off and flew to the Obs so we went to see if the Little Owls were out and our luck was hold as they were just in the gap in the quarry but only had distance scope views. After this we made our way home stopping to see the Little Terns at Chisel while there we had Sandwich Terns , Dunlin and a Sanderling in summer plumage and 5 Ringed Plover of course with the luck we were having we dropped in to Radipole for Beard Tit as the would be another lifer for me . I did seen a Bearded Tit but unfortunately it was not a very good view as they were very eluvise . The end of the day was rounded off with stopping at a view point looking over Lodmor and having some lunch while watching a wonderful female Marsh Harrier quarting the reeds. 

 Today proved to be a great break from patch watching which as been a little bit slow at Longham and Lytchett with only two new birds in the last few trips to Longham and no new species since the Glossy Ibis trip.

New Birds for Longham

Garden Warbler

Stock Dove 

Phone Scoped shot of Ringed Plover & Sanderling