Cruising along the Chobe River near Kasane, Botswana is a great way to pass the afternoon - especially when chasing and then shooting (with a camera) the very colourful White-Fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides).
I found photographing Bee-eaters quite challenging, one moment the bird was sitting quiet and still, the next, after a slight stretch of the chest, a lift of the tail feathers and a blink of the (my) eye , it disappeared with a few rapid flaps of the wings, only to return to a spot nearby a few seconds later!
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| A Bee-eater on the hunt for dinner. This bird was photographed after perching patiently on this low log ... watching for passing insects. |
These birds have a white forehead, a square tail and a bright red patch on their throat. They nest in small colonies, digging holes in cliffs and earthen banks. Their diet is primarily bees, but they also take other flying insects depending on the season and availability of prey.
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| When the Bee-eater spies the unsuspecting bees, they are hunted either by making quick hawking flights or gliding down before hovering briefly to catch insects. |
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| In flight ... White-Fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides), Chobe Nationalpark, Botswana, Africa |
Reference: www.inaturalist.org
Bye for now
Bye for now
Cheers Jen
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