Cuckoo and Meadow Pipit Host
This was the first time I'd been lucky enough to encounter a young Cuckoo being fed by its host (on this occasion a hapless Meadow Pipit). I was able to watch the behaviour for about 20 minutes. The demanding Cuckoo made a surprisingly thin begging call for such a large bird, perhaps mimicking fledglings of its host species. In any case, the Meadow Pipit was run off its feet (flown off its wings) trying to keep up, completely immersed in the deception. Image taken at Grigadale on the beautiful Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Scotland.
Cuckoo and Meadow Pipit Host
This was the first time I'd been lucky enough to encounter a young Cuckoo being fed by its host (on this occasion a hapless Meadow Pipit). I was able to watch the behaviour for about 20 minutes. The demanding Cuckoo made a surprisingly thin begging call for such a large bird, perhaps mimicking fledglings of its host species. In any case, the Meadow Pipit was run off its feet (flown off its wings) trying to keep up, completely immersed in the deception. Image taken at Grigadale on the beautiful Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Scotland.