Common Cuckoo, Snake Den

About a week ago, when I was in the initial stages of recovery from my latest round of heart surgery, I noticed an astounding post on the eBird Rare Bird Alert site: the appearance of a Common Cuckoo at Snake Den State Park in Johnston, Rhode Island. It was the third sighting of the species... ever... in the Lower 48, so the bird, which is common throughout Eurasia, definitely qualified as a rarity. I sighed, knowing that I was not going to be able to jump in the car instantly and head to the locale to spot and photograph the Cuckoo. More than likely, I feared, by the time I'd be cleared to go, the bird would be history. So it goes. But the Lord was good to me, and not only did my recovery progress rapidly and my strength return, giving me the ability to wield my big bird telephoto, but the Cuckoo decided to stick around. This afternoon, my wife Pam, my son Noah, and I hit the birding trail, and there, almost smiling, was our delightful quarry. If that sighting doesn't deserve the deepest "Praise be," I don't know what would qualify.