Finally, after looking in all the usual places for over two weeks, I managed to find the returning European Bee-eaters up in the mountains.
I stopped at a pull off, on a corner, to get out the binoculars in order to scan down the mountain. Before I had even reached for the binos, that familiar calling reached me and I knew they were close. In fact, very close, just the other side of a set of pine trees, flying to and from cables.
Fortunately I managed to use the trees to obscure my presence and I sat and watched them peacefully for some time before fetching the camera.
They were flying over and into an orchard of fig trees collecting bees, not seen them among figs before! Here are some of the birds in the fig trees, albeit distant;
They are very successful at finding bees, which in a way, is a challenge to all of us due to the ever decreasing numbers of these pollenating experts.
I read that the birds remove the stings before swallowing the bees, however I have seen bees go down without this sting removal. Perhaps they are not bees but similar insects?
After an hour of watching and enjoying, I realised that some of the birds were disappearing below the edge of the land in front. I duly relocated to be able to see better what was going on. Luckily the pine trees afforded me cover. Unluckily, they tore shreds from my legs and arms whilst maneuvering through them.
Turned out to be a vertically faced, earthen bank, into which the birds were digging hollows for nesting! At that stage I decided to leave them to it, as I did not want to upset this important digging. I will be back over Easter to carefully look and see how they are going.
More pictures to follow and hopefully I see little ones this year!
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