I was playing snooker in my local club on Sunday evening when Fred Fearn texted me to say that a black-billed cuckoo had been found at Bayhead on North Uist. I made a few phone calls, and there was only Pete Antrobus who was up for the long trip north. The snooker game was soon over, and I was running home to get things sorted to make the ferry from Uig first thing in the morning. I picked Pete up around 9pm from Northwich, and we headed north, arriving at Uig just before 6 a.m. I couldn't sleep and spent the next few hours birding around the harbour as the ferry wasn't till 9.40.
Common Sandpiper
Sedge Warbler
Song Thrush
Linnet
The ferry terminal office didn't open till 9.00am, and we hadn't booked the car on the ferry, but thankfully, there was enough room, and we were on, and then a shout came out that the bird was still there!
By now, all the usual faces had arrived; all we needed now was the ferry.
The ferry arrived on time, and we were off. We saw Black Guillemot, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Black and Red-Throated Diver, and White-Tailed Eagle on the crossing and had constant updates on the cuckoo on the way over.
Pete, with a smile on his face, knowing he's going to get one ahead of Fred with the Black billed Cuckoo
Arriving at Lochmaddy
The ferry soon docked, and we were driving over North Uist in a birding convoy. On arrival, the bird was showing in a bush in someone's garden. What a bird! I never thought I'd ever see one of these Yan beauties.
Black billed Cuckoo
The cuckoo was happily feeding on caterpillars and flying around whilst we were there. Everyone who was there, including Pete, was very happy gripping back this mega bird.
Happy Twitchers
After watching the cuckoo, we headed back to Lochmaddy to find some accommodation for the night and a celebratory pint. We managed to get in at the local hostel, which was cheap as chips for the night, and then went for a pint.
Pete and me in the Lochmaddy Hotel
After a few pints and the sleeping arrangements sorted, we headed back out birding. The first stop was the RSPB reserve at Balranald, where we soon connected with Corncrake. Up to four birds were calling, and one showed briefly. A Glaucous gull was in the nearby fields, and also corn buntings were singing away. The beach held good numbers of Dunlin and Sanderling.
Glaucous Gull
Corn Bunting
The beach at Balranald
Sanderling
Dunlin
I woke this morning at 6.00am to get on the ferry back to Uig, and I was still absolutely shattered. I drove on the ferry and slept all the way back to Uig.
Leaving Uig and heading west
Me taking a break from driving at Glen Coe
I eventually arrived home at 8.00pm after a great twitch, shattered from the long drive, but it was well worth it.
There are 14 previous records in Britain; the last twitchable bird was on the Scillies in 1982, which stayed for 3 days.
Previous Black billed cuckoo records
Previous Black billed cuckoo records
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