This weekend I returned to the spot where I photographed bee-eaters recently. Despite being there early, just after sunrise, and again later in the day, I only managed to see one, in the distance. Not so lucky this time.
I did however encounter this beautiful woodchat shrike.
Since I started taking bird photography seriously and bought equipment that would allow me to take better photographs of our avian friends, the bee-eater has always been one I hoped to capture.
They have proven elusive, but today I finally spotted some bee-eaters perched on a fence, in a field, while driving on a country road. I stopped as soon as I found a suitable place to park my car and tracked back on the road.
Careful as I was, walking slowly, wearing camo, looking down, as soon as I approached they took off. I wasn’t going to let this chance go though. So I assumed they would return to that fence eventually. I walked off the steep side of the road and sat concealed by vegetation, keeping very still, and ready to shoot.
Waiting always feels longer that the clock tells you, but soon enough, birds were coming to that spot. First a corn bunting. Followed by a goldfinch. Cattle egrets. A woodchat shrike…
And then, finally, bee-eaters!
I would have been happy enough to leave with images of bee-eaters perched on a fence, but I snapped away for a while longer after I had some decent shots, enjoying the sight of these beautiful animals.
My reward was a series of action shots. A woodchat shrike flew in, prey on its beak, and there was a brief confrontation with the bee-eaters, which I was lucky to capture in this series of quick snaps.
Bee-eaters. Tick.
A short film I made last year, dedicated to all those who lost their lives during the COVID 19 pandemic.
