I have a special fondness for Rainbow Bee-eaters. Many years ago while looking after a friend’s
European bee hive I was overjoyed when an entire flock of bee-eaters moved into
a big gum tree in our front paddock and entertained me with their joyous songs,
their colourful twisting flight. Within
what seemed an extraordinarily short time they decimated the bee population and
then carelessly moved on, leaving me forsaken and friendless for my lack of
guardianship of the beehive.
They still entrance me
and the bee eaters that have moved into the Julia Creek area are some recompense
for the loss of the company of the sunbirds that live in my Bucasia back yard.
I think they are
nesting near the waterhole at the free camp, burrowing into all that softened clay beside the creek.
One of them swooped me the other day.
I have never been swooped by a bee-eater before. They seem to be a usually placid bird. If they are nesting does this mean the end of
the all too brief rains? Residents here
are hoping for February rains to see them through the Dry. This area is has been drought declared for a long time now. Bee-eaters are supposed to nest only before and after the Wet. There are a lot
of Bee-eaters along the banks of creeks and rivers here. Hopefully they consider this period the before the Wet.
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