Social media fame for the Kirkcudbright kookaburra
The Kirkcudbright kookaburra is giving the wee Kirkcudbright Centipede a run for its money in the fame stakes.
The birds are native to Australia but have been spotted around the town in recent months after escaping from their home at the former Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park.
And now their fame is going global after being captured by photographer Wildlife With Cookie.
James Cooke, who is behind the social media accounts, said:“I’ve known about them for a long time as people see them and post about them on Facebook and I decided now was the time to investigate and see what’s going on. One of the aims I have is to show people the stuff we have in the UK that shouldn’t be there.
“The kookaburra is in the long list – there’s wallabies in Loch Lomond and we have some in England in a secret locations.
“The people of Kirkcudbright were unbelievable, they were the nicest people.
“I was there three times and had a great time. The people were lovely, so helpful and enthusiastic on my search for the kookaburra.”
James made the five hour trip from Leamington Spa to try to photograph the birds – but described his search as“an absolute nightmare”, with the kookaburra unhelpfully not sitting on the old gum tree.
James said:“I was going round in circles from the golf course down to Dee Walk. I was here, there and everywhere listening out but just couldn’t see them.
“All of a sudden on the third day, I got a message from the greenkeeper at the golf course who I’d previously interviewed about the kookaburra and he said he’d just seen one on the golf course.
“I sprinted over there as fast as I could and there were two on the threes there.
“The kookaburra was great, but the people of the area were what made it for me.”
To see James’photos and videos look on Facebook, Instagram,YouTube and other social media platforms for Wildlife With Cookie.