The Bee-Eater birds, they are back in Ipoh, Perak. Like the Brown Shrikes, they are migratory birds too. Out of the 4 species that have been known to exist in Malaysia, I have only spotted 3 so far. It seems that the high-wires in front of my house is their favourite roosting place, probably because of the many flowers that everyone has in their front-yard. More flowers mean more insects and that is the best place to look for food. They can usually be seen in the afternoons between 2 pm to 4 pm.
Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eaters
The first to return was the Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eater. They were first spotted on 17th October 2014. Prior to this, they were last seen on 20th May 2014, based on the time-stamp on my photographs of them. I wonder if they have migrated elsewhere as I have not seen them in recent weeks. Maybe back North as it has been reported that they do not go further South than Ipoh in the Malaysian Peninsular.
Blue-Tailed Bee-Eaters
Migrating back about a month later is the Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater, first seen on 13th November 2014. I have seen 3 flying together in a flock in my neighbourhood. Their distinctive call "preet-preet" always alerts me to their presence. I have seen them making this call even while they were flying.
There is something interesting in the picture above that I did not notice when it was taken. Caught between the beak of this bird is a Carpenter Bee. I have always thought that the Blue-Taileds only prey on smaller bees measuring no larger than 2 cm. But this picture proves otherwise. At where I live, Carpenter Bees are quite big and rather fat, measuring about 5 cm in length. A good catch nonetheless.
Blue-Throated Bee-Eater
This is my first sighting of a Blue-Throated Bee-Eater. It was spotted on 13th November 2014 when it suddenly pop in while I was observing some Blue-Tailed Bee-Eaters. Initially, I thought it was a Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater, but thought that it was a bit peculiar as the bird was a bit smaller in size. But on closer look on my computer, I have come to realised that it was a Blue-Throated Bee-Eater instead. I have not seen this bird since taking this photograph. I wonder where has it gone?
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