The Colorful Bee-eater

Where has it gone the promise to post a new photo every week? Wow, my posts have been really scarce recently...

I am finally editing some shots taken last summer. Not my absolute first, by my first passable shots of the Merops apiaster, the European Bee-eater.
I was finally able to find and photograph this wonderful bird thanks to the help of my friend Marco, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to find this colony breeding by the river. The birds build their nests digging them into the ground or the sides of earth cliffs, often close to water. As the name tells, they hunt mostly insects, with often a dominant number of bees and wasps, but it's common seeing them catching beetles, dragonflies and butterflies. Sometimes they toss the insect into the air to eat it from the proper part, for an easy swallowing.

What hits the most are the beautiful colors of this bird, which can be seen from a distance without possibility of mistake.

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @560mm f/6.3 1/2500sec ISO 800

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @400mm f/9.0 1/3200sec ISO 800

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @400mm f/8.0 1/2500sec ISO 800 +0.67

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT + 2X III @1120mm f/11.0 1/800sec ISO 800

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @560mm f/8.0 1/2500sec ISO 800 +0.67

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @400mm f/8.0 1/2000sec ISO 800 +0.67

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @560mm f/6.3 1/2000sec ISO 800 +0.67

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @400mm f/11.0 1/1000sec ISO 800 +0.67

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @560mm f/6.3 1/3200sec ISO 800 +1

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 200-400 mm f/4L IS USM EXT @560mm f/7.1 1/3200sec ISO 800 +0.67