Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Getting some photos of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was my number one photographic goal for the summer. I often hear the thrilling call of these elusive birds, but rarely do I catch more than a glimpse as they fly about my yard and the surrounding area.
Last Sunday I had the most wonderful sighting a birdwatcher could ask for – but the camera was just out of reach, and the bird flew when I moved. I moved to a new location in my yard and sat down for an hour of mosquito swatting. Curiosity eventually got the better of the Cuckoo and it had to come see what I was doing & scold me (the second photo) for good measure.
I’ve heard them around alot this week and I’ve been out a few times with the camera, but the birds have not been cooperating. I hope to set up my blind and stake-out some large clusters of web worms later in the summer, as cuckoos love to eat fuzzy caterpillars.
Posted in birds, southwest Iowa, wildlife | 9 Comments
July 25th, 2008 at 4:01 am
I always just thought a Cuckoo was the mascot of a cereal brand.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:27 am
They can be tough to spot. You really have to be looking for them.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Great photos, love the wild life in Iowa.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Thanks Dan. I got close to the cuckoos a few more times over the summer, but never got any other photos.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I grew up hearing their call here in SE Iowa, but never knew what they were, then lived most of my adult life out-of-state, never hearing their call again. When I moved back here, I made sure to locate the bird when it was calling so that I could see what it looked like, and was able to then look it up. It’s odd how much I missed the sounds of home when I moved away. The Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will, bullfrogs, and what I always thought of as a quacker bug that starts singing in the evening from the woods, which I’ve now learned is a kind of katydid, but not the pretty little green ones I’m most familiar with.
July 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Hi Julie. Thanks for the comment. I grew up in SE Iowa too !!
I’m sorry your comment did’nt post right away. It got caught in the spamcatcher and I did’nt see it.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
I wish I knew how to do sound recordings for these various melodies so I could post them to the net. Or even just for my own use, to listen to during these long winter months and dream of spring. Well, ok, the winters aren’t as long here in Van Buren County as they were in Minnesota, but this winter feels similar to Minnesota ones this year. I wonder if I could use my camera sound system.
March 21st, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Great pictures. That last one look like my wife fussing at me. LOL
April 11th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
That might work Julie. I tried using a digital voice recorder last summer. Unfortunately, the wind made the recordings very noisy. I did’nt see or hear nearly as many cuckoos last year as in previous summers. I hope 2010 will be a good year for them here.
Thanks Ricky. You had better stop making your wife mad 🙂