Bee Eaters, Extremadura
14th May 2013
Bee Eaters can be seen throughout Spain in Spring and Summer hawking insects in the air and then perching on wires, trees and fence posts waiting for the next unfortunate insect to fly by. We were driving along the 'Belen Plains' one lovely morning and had just seen a Black Stork and Crested and Calandra Larks were singing everywhere. We had just past an old ruined farmhouse and were driving past some old sandy bankings when about ten European Bee Eaters suddenly appeared, we could immediately see they were using the banking for nesting, several holes now became visible. They would sit on the fence posts and wires and then take off and seize a passing Bee or other insect.
Bee Eaters nest holes are quite small with very little room for access, this is to deter predators, but it means that the Bee Eater has to back its way out, there is no room to turn around. This results in their feathers becoming ruffled around their neck and head, I suppose this is a good way to tell if they have been in a nest!
It was too good an opportunity to miss so I switched the engine off and crawled passed and took a few shots, the birds were very obliging and didn't seem the slightest bit bothered.
We moved on and left them to get on with feeding their young.
Bee Eaters nest holes are quite small with very little room for access, this is to deter predators, but it means that the Bee Eater has to back its way out, there is no room to turn around. This results in their feathers becoming ruffled around their neck and head, I suppose this is a good way to tell if they have been in a nest!
It was too good an opportunity to miss so I switched the engine off and crawled passed and took a few shots, the birds were very obliging and didn't seem the slightest bit bothered.
We moved on and left them to get on with feeding their young.