By Mark McConville
STUNNING pictures by a British photographer have caught the much larger cuckoo birds being chased away by a small and aggressive Tree Pipit.
The action shots show the cuckoos landing on different branches before being ran out of town by the brave little bird.
Other spectacular images show the male cuckoos in flight as they spread their wings and reveal the pretty brown patterns on their wings and tails as well as their striped chests.
The incredible images were taken by photographer Andy Rouse in England as he enjoyed a sunny evening.
“It’s a nice area for cuckoos and there were several males present – I saw three in total but it was mostly two that were active,” he said.
“One of the cuckoos was mobbed by a Tree Pipit – a very aggressive and very brave little bird, which took no quarter and chased the much bigger cuckoos away whenever they landed on a particular branch.
“I enjoyed seeing the antics of the pipit just as much as the cuckoo. I love brave little birds like this.”
Mr Rouse was happy to finally see the cuckoo birds in action after years of hearing them.
“After years of hearing cuckoos, it was my first time seeing cuckoos so close and I loved it,” he added.
“They are very beautiful close up and quite the character too. The dominant bird spent half its time chasing the other one around.
“Unfortunately, due to a trip to photograph tigers in India I could not get back to the location until several weeks later, at which point they had all left.”
