"Going Cuckoo Down West"......

The lure of the Great Spotted Cuckoo at Penally,Tenby was too much especially after a phonecall late Friday evening from Alan Hughes and a quick chat with Peter "Pedro" Morgan,the 4.30am alarm presented no problem and I was up like the lark meeting up with the lads at 5.30am at Sarn,Junc 36 on the M4.
In no time at all and thanks to "Pedro's" local knowledge of Tenby we were soon pulling up in the small "Park and Ride" car park at Penally on the edge of the Tenby golf course at 7.00am.
We strolled across the course and joined the dozen or so other birders present two of which were Martin and Teifion Thomas who pointed out the bird in a bush some 60-70yards away.
The bird was quite active feeding and was very mobile,consequently it never came really close but I managed a few "record" shots.......

The bird was quite flighty and much to the disappointment of the assembled crowd flew off towards the wooded hillside of Giltar Point before thankfully returning a few minutes later.

As happens with cuckoos the bird was getting really harassed by other small birds and after an hour or so of watching it it flew once again across the golf course and settled in the wooded area of Giltar Point eventually flying over the sea and landing on nearby St Margaret's Island where according to Birdguides it remained until mid-afternoon before returning to the golf course.
We hung around until 10.15am in the hope that the bird would return and it would oblige by letting myself and "Pedro" get some closer shots but it was not to be and as we were all keen to get home for the rugby ("Pedro had a ticket for the match in Cardiff) we decided to call it a day and headed back east.
A cracking morning out in great company,a UK "tick" for myself (I've seen two in Portugal), "lifers" for both Alan and "Pedro", and to cap it all Wales pitched in with their best performance of the Six Nations with a convincing win over a hapless Scotland,happy days !!