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Hi
Not sure where to post my quiestion

Might be the last european bee eater
I believe the are migraters and should be on its way to
europa
Or do some birds keep sticking around all year

Bert

Sorry Bert! I meant to find you an answer and forgot about it. European Bee eaters are common summer visitors to the north, map indicates up to about Satara in KNP. That would mean those seen by Acekam would probably the last stragglers before they disappear as our "summer" usually indicates November to March.

I have seen them further down south around Byamithi 2 weeks ago. I have also found them quite common in Pretoria 3 - 4 weeks ago.

You r right GP, they should be busy packing there suitcases, gather the young ones, check in their baggage and head for the terminal with a flickering "Europe" above it.

[airport announcer's voice]Last call for all passengers on flight 2203 to Europe, now boarding"[/airport announcer's voice]

They go much further south than KNP !

Earlier this year when visiting the West Coast NP, we saw masses of them near Citrusdal (I know that's outside the NP but just making the point).

The first european bee eaters appeared over the lowveld yesterday. Arrived as a whole wave of them and there are now big flocks all over Nelspruit!

This is a pic of my first European Bee Eater.

Lots around in February.





Richard

http://www.pbase.com/richardharris/february_2007&page=1

more photos / larger versions here

For those who would love to see these bids. They congregate in Moreletta Kloof in Pretoria in hundreds! I was sitting in the midst of a 150 atleast, last weekend. Dunno when they will fly back north, so rush there if they ain't gone yet.

I have positively identified both Europe and and White-Fronted Bee-eaters in the broadacres area for the past few years. Will hopefully see them again this year!

I saw plenty of them yesterday at Golden Harvest!

I like these birds!

KNP Dec. 08

These seen in Kruger, Feb this year.