As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Birders go cuckoo for rare bird: Rare sighting of Eurasian bird draws crowd

Photo: Wikipedia

WATSONVILLE -- The Common Cuckoo is a rare bird indeed, at least when it lands near downtown Watsonville.
A sighting of the bird, also known as the Eurasian Cuckoo, is only the second recorded in the lower 48, the last time in 1981 on Martha's Vineyard.
Birders, including many out-of-towners, are flocking to the Ramsay Park area to see it. At one point during the weekend, more than 100 people lined up in hopes of catching a glimpse of what might be the rarest bird ever spotted in Santa Cruz County.
According to Sharon Hull, the Sentinel's garden columnist, the bird appears to be molting, which means it could be sticking around for a while. She said it's been hanging out in willow thickets and feeding on caterpillars.

More information on the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus):

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