ML643087099

Observation details

This was a real surprise. I was photographing an Oak tree just south of Black Lake when I noticed a movement near the top of an adjacent Birch tree. At first I thought this was a Robin but a closer look revealed a slightly larger bird with a long tail. I had several quite good glimpses of it when I quickly realized it was a Cuckoo. The breast was white and back & wings were dark brown. However the bill was distinctive with a extensive yellow on the lower mandible while the upper mandible was mostly dark. The ring around the eye was not red as in a Black-billed Cuckoo but it was difficult to make out the real colour in the field. However, looking later at the photographs, I could make out a yellow eye ring. Clearly visible were the rufous colouration on the primary feathers. Because of the way the tail was positioned in the tree, it was hard to get a good look at the under side of the tail but large white tips were visible in one of the photographs. The bird disappeared downslope into some thick trees and could not be relocated.