Algarve, and a pair of Bee-eaters.

The day after we arrived in the Algarve, we headed for the Bee-eater site we had discovered last year. I was really lucky to see a Bee-eater fly onto the branch of a tree only a few meters away from where I was hiding behind the trunk of our car, which we had parked in a small opening off the road. Within just a few minutes another Bee-eater joined it's partner, enabling me to get all these shots, and as you will have noticed, I later chose one for a new header.

I would also like to wish all my American friends a very happy 4th of July. Have a good one!!:)

BEE-EATERS  ( MEROPIDAE)  ARE MONOGAMOUS.

DURING A NESTING SEASON, AND IN SEDENTARY PAIRS, THEY STAY TOGETHER FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.

DURING COURTSHIP, THE MALES FEED LARGE ITEMS TO THE FEMALE, WHILE EATING THE SMALL ONES HIMSELF.

BREEDING PAIRS NEST IN LONG VERTICAL NESTING BURROWS, THAT THEY THEMSELVES, EXCAVATE.

THE TUNNELS ARE AT LEAST ONE METER DEEP, TERMINATING IN A NEST CHAMBER.

THEY MAY BE REUSED, IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS, BUT MOST PAIRS WILL EXCAVATE A NEW ONE.

WE NOTICED  THAT MANY BURROWS HAD BEEN ABANDONED, BUT IT WAS EASY TO FIND THE NEW NESTS,....

AS THERE WERE HEAPS OF EARTH UNDER THE NEWLY EXCAVATED NESTS.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D-RATHER-B-BIRDIN