Click on the video to see a Shining Cuckoo Fledgling

Shining Cuckoos have been abundant this summer.
They arrive back in NZ each spring and announce themselves with their distinctive call.
Before long they mate and find a foster nest where they lay their eggs. The foster parents are NZ’s second smallest bird, the Grey Warbler / Riroriro. These little birds sit on the eggs, then work tirelessly to feed their huge baby. 
Once fledged and grown, the Shining Cuckoo fly off to the Solomon Islands during February. 
We wait until September to hear them call again.

Here’s a shining cuckoo I’ve been working on…

As many of you will know, my inspiration comes from the critters and wildlife around my home at Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula.
Summer is an amazing time, birds are breeding, lizards are basking and bugs are beetling.

My camera is always handy and here are some of the shots that may end up in drawings…​

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Nga mihi,
Tricia Hewlett