Fortunately unlike these runners we found somewhere to shelter whilst it passed over.
The runners were not the only ones who were caught out. This bird landed on the telegraph wires soon after the rain had passed, clearly hoping it would dry itself out. A quick glance and we thought a bedraggled pigeon, but as I was taking my first photograph we realised its bedraggled state could not possibly explain its tail shape.
You’ve probably worked it out already. It took us another photograph. My excuse is quite a good one though, this was a first for me. First ever, not just in Portugal. They are a difficult bird to see, so we were very lucky and I guess we can thank the rainstorm for the sighting. It is of course a cuckoo. Their Portuguese name is Cuco-canoro.
Hope you have a lovely weekend and if it does rain I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that it passes over in a moment! However if that doesn’t work and it rains for more moments then you can count, why not spend some time with Cate and her Six Word Saturday gang.
BUT before you go here is the Cuckoo’s song, borrowed from the excellent xeno-canto website. This recording is by Marco Dragonetti and was recorded by the Osa river, Orbetello, Italy.
PS A moment was a medieval unit of time. There were 40 moments in a solar hour, however as a solar hour was always one twelfth of the amount of time between sunrise and sunset, the length of a moment would vary through the year. On average though a moment was 90 seconds, and the time-gap between the heavy downpour and brilliant sunshine was less than a dozen moments!
It’s been quite a spring hasn’t it? Literally buckets filled up here in the Sierra. Thankfully it didn’t rain in Cabanas when my daughter came out for her boost of Vitamin D!
Phew . . .so relieved for your daughter. I always feel sorry for those who come out for a week or two of sunshine and then get the opposite.
Looks like it was a ferocious storm!
It was amazing . . . . the runners were drenched but by the end of their run I am sure would have dried off completely.
Nice discovery in a rainy moment. I love love love blue skies and wouldn’t mind a downpour like the one you had, as long as the blue returns swiftly!
Totally agree . . . . which is why we love Portugal the grey never seems to last for long 🙂
That was a quick storm.
It was incredible – very fast and very heavy
Glad to see you were able to ride out the weather!
I’ve never seen a cuckoo, and come to think of it I haven’t heard one for years either 🙁
Likewise until this year . . .saw in Algarve and then heard first in Essex last week, and then the first time ever from my garden here in Winchester. Amazing.
You’ve been very lucky 🙂
Great post
I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a cuckoo, only heard them
Thanks Debbie – you haven’t missed much not seeing one!!
Sheesh! I love a drop of water 🙂 🙂 What a great Portuguese word to add to my vocab, Becky. Hope you’re soon feeling better.
I know!!
Thanks – just resurfaced for lunch but about to hunker down again 😕
Glad the downpour didn’t drench you and gave you such a photo opportunity 🙂
We do have one of these somewhere in the trees around our house , I’ve never managed to see him/her but I get to hear his cucoos from time to time 🙂
Turtle Hugs
Maybe one day you’ll spot him/her but they are usually very difficult to see. We were just very lucky to have found shelter and to have spotted it 😊
Glad you stayed dry!
So were we!!