Chris's Country Files: Close Encounters of the Colin kind..

You know, thinking about it, it's actually been quiet a while since I've visited a new site.
Somewhere new to explore, new things to see, discover, track down etc.
You get familiar with your old haunts, and get to know where stuff is. That doesn't mean new stuff can't and isn't found, but if I walk down this track I will probably see the Dartford Warbler, or, the Spoonbill are usually asleep on this lagoon etc. etc.

Well yesterday was the first time in a very long time that I went somewhere new. A whole new county to go for an adventure in. That adventure was at Thursley Common in Surrey.

Following a talented young photographer on instagram called Hugo, we'd built up a friendship as he's been down to look at our otters here in Andover, and yesterday I visited his patch, to meet him, and Colin.

So who is Colin?
Well, Colin is actually quite a celebrity in the South of England.
A cuckoo, born here, that flies back from Africa each Summer to assist in the production of new Colins, I mean cuckoos. The difference with this cuckoo is that he's got quite used to humans, in fact, he'll happily come quite close to humans - if they're good enough to leave food for him.

Thursley is big! It's very similar to our own Greenham Common, if you imagined Greenham to be nearer the coast. Sandy soil, lagoons, pine trees and gorse, mixed with a few copses of oak here and there, plus a couple of long boardwalk sections.. A really beautiful place that I thoroughly recommend visiting.

I was here to meet Colin, so following Hugo's instructions I made my way to the bottom of the reserve, to a grass clearing. It is here that Colin is fed. I had heard that it could be quite a wait, so I walked with haste as I heard a cuckoo calling in the general area.

Arriving at the field I see a semi-circle of photographers, and 'props' for him to pose on.. I know how corny that sounds. Some of my photographer friends have probably already stopped reading ;o)
I say my good mornings and join the cuckoo paparazzi.

I'm a patient person. mostly, but I really hoped Colin would show soon, so I could check out the rest of Thursley. A few cuckoo calls here and there, and after half an hour, a cuckoo flies up and perches in the trees behind us. Five minutes later, after checking us out, it flew down and started eating the meal worms provided.
It IS cheating, isn't it.. Baiting a bird to come for food.. But it is a wild bird, and is it any different to getting excited about Nuthatch or Woodpecker in the garden feeders? We can all have our own opinion. Anyways, Colin dropped in and ate for five minutes, and I took about 300 pictures. Thank god we don't use 35mm film any more. Here are a select few.

After Colin flew off, I checked out more of the reserve. Plenty of Common Lizards, lots of Dartford Warbler and three Hobby occasionally flying high over the Lakes. Caught the tail-end of an Adder as it shot back in to the heather, too quick to snap, but nice to see. Had hoped to get some good Redstart pics too, but that proved a little harder today.