Dramatic pictures show a fearless robin taking on a cuckoo
No more cuckoo in the nest! Dramatic pictures show a fearless robin taking on much larger bird
- Photographer Alan McFadyen saw a cuckoo and a robin fighting while out taking pictures in Kirkcudbright
- While enjoying the Scottish scenery he could not believe it when he saw the robin defending its nest
- Mr McFadyen says the robin instinctively knew the Cuckoo wanted to lay its eggs alongside the robin’s
These dramatic photos show a robin and cuckoo in the throes of a vicious fight.
Taken in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, the images show the pair grappling with each other as the Robin ‘instinctively knows Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests’.
The cuckoo is attempting to fight off the robin and get access to its nest.
Photographer Alan McFadyen who caught the spectacular moment early last month says he was blown away by what he saw.
He said: ‘The Cuckoo was on the post and this Robin has a nest a few metres away. Its eggs had just hatched and the Robin instinctively knows Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests.
‘When the Cuckoo egg hatches the baby Cuckoo at one day old pushes out the hosts eggs or young so it gets all the food itself from the foster parents.
‘I have been photographing Cuckoos here in the UK for over six years now but never have I witnessed anything like this.
‘To catch the whole sequence with so many images is a rather special achievement for me. I dreamt of one shot like this, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would get so many.’
Taken in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, the images show the pair grappling with each other as the Robin ‘instinctively knows Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests’
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As the cuckoo sits on the perch the robin swoops in and grabs it with its tiny claws. The cuckoo opens its beak to squawk and peck at the much smaller bird
With wings raised the cuckoo attempts to fight off its small foe as it remains balanced on its perch. It hunkers down and snaps as the robin flies away before another dive
The cuckoo is thrown slightly off balance as the robin launches a further attack from above. With wings aloft the robin looks as if it is going to land directly on top of the cuckoo
The cuckoo looks up in fear as the robin flies down in to its face. The larger bird seems unable to defend itself from its nifty and quick attacker
A brief moment upside down sees the robin send the cuckoo to its metaphorical knees. The bird is forced to dive down as the robin flips around using its tiny feet to attack its nemesis’ face
In this terrifying snap the robin snaps at the cuckoo’s beak. Photographer Alan McFadyen who caught the spectacular moment early last month says he was blown away by what he saw
The cuckoo looks truly beaten at this point as it looks up at its attacker. Snapping with its beak and clawing with its feet the robin circles and pecks at the larger bird
A firm talking to: In this dramatic clip it almost looks as if the robin is telling the cuckoo bird to behave. Mr McFadyen said: ‘The Cuckoo was on the post and this Robin has a nest a few metres away. Its eggs had just hatched and the Robin instinctively knows Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests’
The robin defends its nest from the cuckoo bird who wants to lay its egg amongst the robin’s. Once hatched the robin’s chicks would get little food as the larger cuckoo chick would take it all
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