Bee eater

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Bee eater
Photo Information
Copyright: Lenka Gondova (lgfoto) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 256 W: 15 N: 277] (1428)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 40D, Canon 400 5.6L
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1000 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Tanzania 2008
Date Submitted: 2008-03-08 10:45
Viewed: 476
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees, wasps, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch. While they will pursue any type of flying insect, honey bees predominate in their diet. The world range of the bee-eaters is nearly identical to the native world range of the four most common species of honey bees.

Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect thereby extracting most of the venom. Notably, the birds only catch prey that are on the wing and will ignore flying insects once they land.

Bee-eaters are gregarious. They form colonies by nesting in burrows tunneled into the side of sandy banks, such as those which have collapsed on the edges of rivers. Their eggs are white and they generally produce 2-9 eggs per clutch (depending on species), which are widely distributed and common. As they live in colonies, large numbers of these holes are often seen together, white streaks from their accumulated droppings accentuating the entrances to the nests. Most of the species in the family are monogamous, and have biparental care of the young.


Taken during trip to Tanzania at Lake Manyara National Park.
SkyF, goldyrs, hester, jusninasirun, timonejoon has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 489 W: 0 N: 935] (7943)
  • [2008-03-08 11:01]
  • [2]

Hi Lenka,

I like this bird a lot and I'm next to you with also a bee-eater.The colors of this bird are amazing. There is a bit of noise on the background. You can use neat image to work on this problem. For the rest nice capture.

regards,
Zeno.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2447 W: 207 N: 2035] (8113)
  • [2008-03-08 11:48]

Hi Lenka,
a lovely shot of this colorful bird. The details are sharp and the colors nice and saturated. Like Zeno already mentioned the BG could be softened a bit.
TFS..Sky

Hi lenk another great shot of this bird in tanzania
in one week im in the manyara park too
i so looking forward too^^
tfs Toba

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1497 W: 18 N: 2924] (10762)
  • [2008-03-08 12:45]

Hi Lenka

Wonderful pose and beautifully composed. I love the way the head is stretched up. DOF and light are perfect.

TFS

Karan

Hello Lenka. Your bee-eater is slightly different than mine. Excellent sharpness and clarity of the plumage. Well perched on the tip of the branch. Well done and best regards. Jusni

Hi Lenka

It is like posing in the sun for taking photo. Nice pose and perfect composition with great details. Maybe i can nag little about the noise but it is not anoying, the shot is great.
Well done
TFS
Babak

Hey Lenka,
Excellent shot!
I love the sharpness and the details!This is very different from the types we find in India.
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2726 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-03-09 21:35]

Hello Lenka

A beautiful capture of this bee-eater.
I like the diagonal look in the frame,well composed.
The colours are bright and well saturated.
Very good POV and DOF.
TFS
Rob

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1265 W: 103 N: 4302] (19435)
  • [2008-03-10 8:15]

Hello Lenka, very well capture bird. THe details are pin sharp and you've done a great exposure, I like the composition and the pose of your subject is fine. Well done, thanks!

Mario

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