THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
76 
away. At 2 p.m. her bubbling note was heard 
from the orchard to which she had returned un- 
observed. A few minutes later Smyth and I saw 
her fly thence to an ash tree (K 1 ) behind a cottage 
at the north-east corner of the common. She 
alighted for a moment and then flew apparently 
into the forest. At about 2.30 Smyth caught a 
glimpse of her slipping back round the north-west 
corner into the centre orchard, where from our 
respective positions we could clearly see her 
preening herself and being literally buffeted by 
one of the Meadow Pipits she had victimised on 
the 8th. She showed an evident disinclination to 
pay serious attention to that particular fosterer. 
At about 3 p.m. she again flew right away, this 
time over the south-east side of the common. 
Towards 4 p.m. she returned from a south-westerly 
direction and was seen by Simmonds, senr., to fly 
into the centre orchard, shortly afterwards taking 
up a position in a cherry tree (D). From here she 
could only obtain a view of the lower side of the 
common, which is never used by the Meadow 
Pipits, but where we had that morning found a 
Tree Pipit’s nest (TP) with five fresh eggs. That 
was the only occasion on which the Cuckoo was 
seen to take any interest in that part of the common. 
