Hardy Tropicals UK

in coastal Co. Durham!

The blue sky is impressive as well! Do you think that bird is an escapee from some aviary, or is it an occasional visitor?

An occasional visitor, lost on migration - headed north instead of south.

I suppose its not going to survive the winter then. Shame for such a pretty bird

Bee eater?

flounder wrote:I suppose its not going to survive the winter then. Shame for such a pretty bird

Hard to know! It's doing OK at the moment, apparently it found a wasp nest and is tucking into them. It could realise the error of direction and head back south, or it might not (in which case, yes it will die - that's evolution for you, cull out the faulty migration gene mutation).

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Bee eater?

Read the filename

Some better pics by other birders with better cameras than mine:
http://whitleybirder.blogspot.com/2012/ ... 31112.html
http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/20 ... prise.html

I didn't cheat, honest.

Bee Eaters are found throughout the European continent so it will easily survive here, however there are no breeding colonies here they are just passing visitors as it may have been migrating towards Spain from the continent.

Impressive to find one that far north though.

lost on migration - headed north instead of south.

Awe, thats a shame.... I hope it survives Conifers.

One beautiful sighting.

stephenprudence wrote:Bee Eaters are found throughout the European continent

Only in southern Europe; they don't breed regularly north of the Alps.

This bird is still doing OK today, despite last night's frost.

Conifers wrote:

stephenprudence wrote:Bee Eaters are found throughout the European continent

Only in southern Europe; they don't breed regularly north of the Alps.

This bird is still doing OK today, despite last night's frost.

Not much in the way of food for it I guess.

Should be,

Berries, worms, Insects etc.

kata wrote:Should be,

Berries, worms, Insects etc.

Wasps. Apparently it has found a still-active wasp nest in a garden, which is why it is staying in the same spot for so long.

It won't touch berries or worms!

Thanks Conifers, hope the wasps its found last it till spring,

A few less wasps for me to worry about.....

Strange coincidence, a pair of European Bee Eaters bred in Northumberland some years ago raising (I think) three young.
This one is no doubt on passage to Sub Sahara Africa as not all migrating birds fly years. Some fly as far south as Botswana! why they need to fly that far I don't know.
The bird is a beauty and hope it stays for a while although tonights temperatures might change it's mind.