Cuckoo's favourite post is no more.

Between two particular conifer plantations in the Brecon Beacons there is an area of 'Clearfell'. (Nothing unusual in that I hear you say) but right in the middle of this clearfell there was one old rotten tree trunk about twenty feet high and it stood out like a sore thumb amongst the fallen branches. A number of times I witnessed Cuckoos flying from one plantation to the other and perching on this tree trunk to survey the area. I started to see an opportunity for an image in this situation, so a couple of years ago I manhandled a few of the fallen branches to form a kind of 'Teepee' which would act as a natural hide. This construction was about thirty feet from the tree trunk the Cuckoos were perching on. At first light one morning I positioned myself inside the Teepee and waited, for some time I must admit, for a Cuckoo to start calling. After much anticipation a male bird came in and landed right in front of me and this happened a number of times providing me with some quite decent images.
This old tree stump was the basis for some nice photographic images of these iconic spring birds because they were always close up and the background was always a nice pastal shade.



Last week I was driving past these two conifer plantations and I thought I'd stop and have a look to see if 'old faithful' was still standing. However, what greeted me was disappointment, it was lying flat on the clearfell floor amongst the other debris. I was thinking of setting up there next spring (because it's too late this year) if there were any Cuckoos around the plantations, but it would be far too heavy to re-erect.
All good things come to an end they say.....