European Bee-eaters Return to U.K. for 2nd Consecutive Year

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/15/exotic-bee-eater-returns-to-uk-for-second-summer-in-a-row

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12201069/Warmer-weather-sees-migration-African-rainbow-birds-UK.html

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-61837499

[Atravelynn]

Even for fans of bee-eaters, not really an event to cheer.

[Julian]

17 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

Even for fans of bee-eaters, not really an event to cheer.

I would expect keen bird spotters in this country will be delighted to see them , especially if they are unable to travel abroad for financial or other reasons.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Julian

[kittykat23uk]

They are lovely birds. I saw them last year. Hopefully will get to see them again. 

[inyathi]

 

At least now, when these birds show up, people reach for their binoculars, scopes, and cameras and not a gun as they did back in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. A read the following report on the website Historical Rare Birds European Bee-eater and picked out this quote

 

Quote

A. P. Morres (1879) in the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, Vol. XVIII. p. 314-315, says: 'There is a nearer occurrence, however, to be recorded of this species, which happened near Warminster. In May, 1866, a fine male specimen of this bird was shot by a mason named Turner, at Boreham, about a mile from the town above-mentioned. While at his work he observed a pair of these birds playing round an apple tree. He watched them for some time and then ran off to get a gun, and on his return he shot the male bird, which was in beautiful condition, and set up by King, of Warminster. It is still, I believe, in Mr. Turner's possession, who is quite alive to the value to be attached to an English-killed specimen of this rare bird.' It was accepted locally (Smith 1887: 294).

 

This was pretty typical most of the other records refer to one or more birds being shot, if people wanted to study birds up close in those days, that’s what they did reach for a gun, being shot was the fate of many rare birds, that happened to show up in the UK, people would often have the specimens they’d shot mounted, so that they could display them in glass cases to impress their guests.

 

Thankfully this practice had largely ended by the 20^th century, although when the first pair was recorded trying to breed in the UK in 1920 a local gardener caught the female and kept her in a greenhouse and she died after two days.

 

Whilst these birds are nice to see, the problem with them being here, is clear, if you look at the records, the next recorded breeding attempt after that one in 1920 was in 1955, when 3 pairs bred in East Sussex, there are no other recorded breeding attempts until 2002, they then bred or attempted to in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2017, 2022 and now 2023. Thus, in the 20^th century there were only two records of European Bee-eaters breeding in two different years decades apart, now in the 21^st century we have records of breeding or attempted breeding in seven different years, all within the first quarter of this century, the species has always been a scarce migrant, but now it looks like it could become a regular breeding species. They are not the only species more associated with the Mediterranean that have started breeding in the UK, Little Egrets are now very common, I’ve seen a good few in the UK, but saw one on my own patch for the first time a week or so ago and filmed one on my trail cam a few months back, Cattle Egrets and Great White Egrets now breed here, Purple Herons have bred here, Black-winged Stilts seem to be becoming a regular breeder and there is a distinct possibility that Glossy Ibis might breed here in the near future.

 

It is sometimes difficult to be certain that birds newly showing up here, weren’t in fact native British birds in the past, that perhaps died out due to loss of habitat or hunting, it is hard to be sure that some species might not have bred here in the recent past, if people hadn’t grabbed their guns every time a rare bird showed up. We now have a good number of Eurasian Spoonbills breeding in the UK, these birds only started breeding here quite recently, but they are in fact a native species, that was hunted to extinction around 300 years ago, apparently Spoonbills were considered a delicacy and served at banquets in medieval times, I am sure if people in the 18^th and 19^th centuries had not shot them, they might well have returned as a breeding species much sooner. The Common Crane likewise disappeared around 400 years ago and recolonised naturally, but a reintroduction project has significantly boosted the population making the species far more secure. So, not every bird species that has shown up and started breeding in the UK in the last 50 years or so, is a newcomer some are returning natives, coming back because of efforts to restore wetland habitats and because they are no longer shot here and their numbers have risen, due to better protection elsewhere in Europe. Some of the species I listed though do seem to be newcomers and their arrival as breeding species and the likelihood that the European Bee-eater will join the list of breeding species, would seem to be clear evidence of climate change.

 

Of course, ardent climate sceptics and science deniers will claim that bee-eaters have always turned up here, they fail to acknowledge that what has changed is that the birds are very clearly breeding here, more frequently than ever before. That the European Bee-eater, has gone from scarce migrant to occasional breeder, to now quite possibly regular breeder, they’re not yet breeding every year, but they very soon might be, delightful birds though they are, that is cause for concern.

Edited June 20, 2023 by inyathi

[Tom Kellie]

13 hours ago, kittykat23uk said:

They are lovely birds. I saw them last year. Hopefully will get to see them again. 

 

~ @kittykat23uk:

 

You saw them in 2022?

 

That's very special indeed.

 

When reading these articles I imagined the looks of surprise by sailors in the English Channel if they spotted a bee-eater perched in the rigging.

 

         Tom K.

[kittykat23uk]

Yes, this is the second year they have attempted to breed in that location. Very unusual apparently. Didn't get any good pics of them though as too distant.. 

 

https://flic.kr/p/2oDxuQJ

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23590144.bee-eater-birds-return-trimingham-norfolk-2023/

 

Bee-eaters Return to Trimingham, Norfolk

 

[kittykat23uk]

A little update, apparently as of yesterday the female is no longer incubating so seems like they bhave failed this year. Whether they try again or depart, time will tell. It might mean that I don't get a chance to see them this year as haven't been able to get up to the site and will not be able to for the next two weekends at least..