Bee-eaters

Don't forget the Black Winged Stilts Micky

Oh yes, I think there may be several more additions in future years. Sadly, for different pet reasons, our seabirds are not doing so well!

Goodness knows how ‘pet’ entered the conversation unless your from the NE.😳

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2022-07-22/why-eight-rare-birds-are-vivid-reminder-of-climate-change-threat

A pair tried to nest at Musselborough in 1923

There have been more recent UK breeding attempts, Oneput, Cumbria in 2015 and Northamptonshire 2017. These birds, once very rare visitors to our shores, are now a little more frequent but still numbers are few.  This Norfolk group are the first to hatch young successfully. Let’s hope these Norfolk chicks fledge okay.

European bee-eaters have attempted to nest on several occasions in Britain:

In 1920, a pair made a nesting attempt in a sand bank of the River Esk at Musselburgh, Scotland. A local gardener captured the female, keeping her in a greenhouse, and she died two days later, after laying a single egg.
In 1955, three pairs of bee-eaters nested in Streat Sand Quarry near Plumpton, East Sussex. The birds were first found on 12 June, although the birds' presence only became widely known at the start of August. One nest was accidentally destroyed by machinery in July, but seven young fledged from the two remaining nests towards the end of August. An RSPB wardening operation was instigated, and in total over 1,000 people visited the site. The birds remained until 24 September.
A pair nested at Bishop Middleham Quarry, County Durham in 2002. The birds were first found on 2 June, and within a few days started to undertake courtship feeding and copulation; five chicks hatched, but one died in the nest, one died before fledging, and a third disappeared and was also believed to have died. Durham Wildlife Trust (with RSPB assistance) set up a wardening post during the period when the birds were nesting. News was released to rare bird information services, and the national news media also reported on the birds' presence. In total, some 15,000 people visited the site during their stay; the adults and both fledged young were seen to leave on 28 August, when they flew off high to the south.
A pair took up residence on farmland adjacent to the River Wye, near Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire in summer 2005; by mid-July the adults were bringing insect food to the riverbank nest-hole confirming that eggs had hatched. A wardening operation was set up by the RSPB, with public access granted, resulting in about 2,000 people seeing the birds. However, on the evening of 29 July, foxes predated the nest, and the birds soon left the site.
A pair excavated a nest hole at a coastal site in Dorset in 2006, but this attempt failed.
Two pairs of bee-eaters nested on the Isle of Wight in 2014. A viewing area was set up and run by RSPB and local volunteers enabling thousands of people to enjoy watching the adults hawking near the (hidden) nest site. Success rates unknown.
Two pairs of bee-eaters nested in Low Gelt sand quarry near Brampton, Carlisle in the North Pennines, Cumbria. The birds were found on Friday 31 July 2015 and were put under the RSPB's 24-hour nest protection programme. A viewing area was set up 200m from the nest.
In June 2017 seven nested at CEMEX quarry East Leake, Nottinghamshire, attracting thousands of bird-watchers.
In June 2022 seven nested at a disused quarry at Trimingham, near Cromer, Norfolk.

These are records of bird sightings over the last 100 years.  There is no record of the 7 birds that arrived in Yarmouth last year so it’s possible that not all sightings get reported.

We went to East Leake in 2017.  Obviously Yarmouth last year as they were less than 2 miles from where we live.  And been twice to Trimmingham, it is thought that some of these birds are from the same flock that visited Yarmouth last year.

Bee eaters breeding at Trimmingham, our first visit June 2022

Just watching the bee eater nest camera, adult entered nest and exited about 1230hrs

Several visits to webcam page over the weeks but no luck seeing them ‘live’ yet. I hear it’s a shame no camera was put on the nearby overhead telephone lines, many lovely photos here on the web.

 Just thought I would take a look at the webcam and lo and behold a bee-eater at the entrance looking around, then it flew off   It reminded me of when we were staying at a our friends finca in Spain where the bee-eaters were around, outside the finca was a bank which a pair decided would make a nice home, the best view point was from the bathroom window directly opposite the hole in the bank, I spent a few hours sitting on the toilet seat/lid camera in hand waiting to photograph them!