56 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
with fresh eggs, we felt confident that the Cuckoo 
would make use of it for her next egg, but instead 
of watching all that afternoon (when of course the 
seventh egg of the Cuckoo was really due to be 
laid) we determined to get up before daybreak next 
morning, Wednesday, May 26, and hide up to 
watch the Cuckoo lay. 
Reaching the common by 3.45 a.m., before the 
sun had risen to dispel a heavy pall of mist which 
made everything very cold and damp, we first 
glanced at the nest to see that all was safe. To our 
amazement we saw the Cuckoo’s egg lying along- 
side only one egg of the fosterer. Upon examina- 
tion both the eggs were damp and cold, thus proving 
that the Cuckoo must have laid the previous after- 
noon or evening, and also that the fosterer had not 
yet laid her third egg. Visiting the nest at 6 a.m. 
we flushed the Pipit and by this time she had laid 
her morning egg. Incidentally this showed that 
this Meadow Pipit did not sit on her nest at night 
whilst still in process of laying her clutch — 
probably few Pipits do. 
We restarted No. 2 pair, transferring her eggs 
to the nest of a Whinchat, which, however, resented 
the exchange and threw the eggs from her nest. 
Thus only No. 8 was left available for the Cuckoo’s 
