New encounters with subjects from earlier blogs

I made another early morning visit to Marazion Marsh this morning looking out for a pair of Otter that were spotted again yesterday. 

No show today,  I will keep plugging on as usual until I encounter them but I was delighted to see that the dominant pair of Mute Swan were proudly showing off a fine clutch of seven goslings along the front of the marsh water line.

The rabbits had plenty of evidence of young bunnies chasing about but the adults decided to make a few more just to keep their numbers up.

It was also nice to see a flock of Sanderling with a few Ringed Plover that were busy working the surf line on the beach opposite before the morning beach walkers arrived,

Moving on along the coast I came across a noisy trio of newly fledged Ravens that were still being fed on the nest the last time that I saw them,  They were all now looking grown up and confident in their cliff top environment,

Moving on to to higher heath land I missed the best part of a Red Kite fly-bye but enjoyed working with a couple of skylark and Willow warbler and ended with yet another fine take-off shot by a male Cuckoo.

Cuckoo V Sedge Warbler

 

A Cuckoo takes-off from a field gate and flies into an adjacent small tree where a small Sedge Warbler is singing its heart out on the top branches.

The Cuckoo decides to do the same and starts its elaborate and well known chain of calls and the little Sedge Warbler changed from being a happy chappy into a territorial attacking headcase.

First off the Sedge Warbler pecked away at the Cuckoo's tail feathers and when that didn't work he took off and proceeded to dive bomb the Cuckoo's head 

                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                 

After three attempts the Sedge Warbler made contact and the Cuckoo'd had enough and it turned and flew off to another tree on the opposite side of the field gate.

Now it might seem like this male Cuckoo gave in easily but it is a shrewd move, The fact of the matter is that bearing in mind that after mating females will be looking to lay their eggs in the likes of the Sedge warblers nest so having small birds on his patch is more likely to help attract female Cuckoo's which is his first priority,