Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Birds (caught) In The Rain

Bee-eater

 I nearly tripped on the stairs as I ran for the camera at the sight of this bee-eater, the first one this year. It was raining and the wind had just died down. Certainly not a bird watching day. Suddenly a flash of blue and green descended on the wires and sat there for several minutes. On days that do not rain we usually see these pretty birds dive down for the bees, wasps, and dragonflies. Before eating their prey, bee-eaters remove the stinger by repeatedly rubbing and hitting the insect on a hard surface. These birds only catch prey on the wing and ignore flying insects once they land. Throughout the summer months it's a joy to watch these delightful birds.


Another rainy day...I'd assumed that sparrows seek shelter from the rain by sitting under the eaves of our house. But no. A few sparrows preferred to stay put on my berry tree with the rain pouring steadily. Can you spot the two on the extreme left (top)?






To see more of our feathered friends, please visit World Bird Wednesday.


                                         Enjoy and Participate!

17 comments:

HansHB said...

A perfect post for WBW!
Happy evening to you!

Caroline Gill said...

What a beautiful post! I thought you might be interested in the Sparrows here ... (three of my sparrow Haiku will be taking part ...).

Unknown said...

Great shots of a fascinating bird!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

FAB said...

A lovely post and great shots of the exotic Bee-eaters.

Joanne Olivieri said...

Very nicely detailed shots.

Sylvia K said...

What a great post, beautiful bird and superb captures for the day!!

Sylvia

eileeninmd said...

The bee-eater is a gorgeous bird! I love the shots of the sparrows all tucked in, it is cute. Great photos.

Sallie (FullTime-Life.com said...

I'm in awe that the bee-eater knows how to remove the stingers from its prey....amazing fact! Beautiful pictures -- thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful bird, with such a strange ritual before eating their prey! That is definitly something I would like to see.

mick said...

Great photos of the birds in the rain.

Vores have said...

Incredibly beautiful picture you show.
Wishing you a good day.
Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk

NatureStop said...

Kanak,great captures of the bee eater and love the last shot!

Ruby

Brian King said...

That Bee-eater is gorgeous!

fjällripan said...

Such a beautiful bird! The bee eater is another new bird to me, thanks for sharing :)

Pat said...

The Bee-eater is a fascinating and beautiful bird!

Rambling Woods said...

what an interesting bird..one who removes the stingers..amazing...

joo said...

I've never seen Bee - eater! It's such a lovely bird:)