Heather's Nature Notes: COLIN THE CUCKOO AT THURSLEY COMMON

This time last year, I arranged with some friends to meet them at Thursley Common nature reserve in Surrey to see a particular bird which was becoming rather well known there. For seven years, 'Colin' the cuckoo has returned annually from Africa to this beauty spot, and has become something of a celebrity, as he has been enticed to a certain perch which has been set up in the middle of a field, baited with meal worms, and providing ideal photograph opportunities for keen birders.

Sadly last year, Lockdown restrictions prevented our visit, but when I heard he had returned at the beginning of the month, I contacted my friends again to see if they would be willing to meet there. Sadly since last year, a large part of the heath was destroyed in a wildfire, including the majority of a 1.3 km long wooden boardwalk across the bog and we were unsure just how accessible the site would be.

We agreed to meet in the Moat car park at 10.15.am and we only just managed to find spaces to park - Colin is very popular! The weather was glorious sunshine with bright blue skies and although chilly at first it grew warmer as the day wore on. We followed a sandy path and stopped at a junction, where we came across a couple of horse riders who directed us how to reach the parish field to find the cuckoo. Not being in any hurry, we took our time to stop from time to time to scan the gorse bushes for other birds of interest, including the dartford warbler which is regularly spotted here. It wasn't long before we saw one, which flew across the path next to us and disappeared. Further ahead we stopped at a junction in the path where a photographer was pointing his lens at a bush. Another dartford warbler, and this time it gave slightly better views, though my camera was pointing into the sun. As we continued walking, we met a few people coming towards us and several were keen to tell us that the cuckoo was due back for its next feed at any time as it had been away for three hours!

We decided to head straight there and on reaching the field we were aiming for, we entered via a gateway, and joined the twenty or so photographers already positioned in a small arc around a lichen covered branch. carefully balanced across two logs, which was sited about ten metres away from us. There was a feeling of expectation as most were seated with tripods and cameras ready for the cuckoo's next visit.

The cuckoo wasn't anywhere to be seen, so we decided to start on our lunch. Then, about half an hour after we had arrived, we became aware of a cuckoo calling in the distance and not long afterwards it was seen flying to the top of a nearby tree where it started cuckooing loudly. All we had to do now was wait until it flew down to eat the mealworms which had been put out for him.

It wasn't long before he did so and gave some brilliant opportunities for photos, staying for around ten minutes. At one point he flew down to the ground from the perch and all we could see was its head. While we waited for him to return to his perch, a few woodlarks were spotted just behind and at the same time a whisper went round that there was a redstart perched in the tree right behind us!

The cuckoo did return to its perch, and continued to enjoy its free meal, before flying to the other side of the field. It was time for everyone to move... either to leave or to take up a better position for the cuckoo's next visit... in another three or four hours maybe?

We decided to move on, and have a further look for dartford warblers. We did find some, but they were very mobile and hard to photograph. We also saw stonechats, which are often taken as a sign that dartfords may be hidden in the gorse nearby, as well as a whitethroat, willow warblers and chiffchaffs.

As we made our way slowly back to the carpark, it was sad to see the charred remains of large parts of the heath.

Many of the small trees across the heath had blackened bark up to about a metre or so from the ground and there were charred logs laying around the scorched shrubs. However, there were already signs that life was returning with new green growth sprouting from the base of some of the gorse bushes.