The Beginning
Alright, buckle up, 'cause I'm about to take you on a wild ride through my journey (obsession?) with Rainbow Bee-eaters. It's a tale of discovery, rediscovery, and me standing around in the sun with no sunscreen like a peanut for way too long. Read to the end to see the epic shot! Or you know, just scroll down without reading... Whatever.
The Accidental Discovery
It starts with 17-year-old me, barely knowing which end of the camera to point at stuff, stumbling upon these flashy little birds. Back then, I was all about landscapes, so while I managed to snap a decent enough pic to realise these birds were proper stunners, that was about it. They were swooping down right in front of me! Talk about missed opportunities.
The "Oh Yeah, Those Guys!" Moment
Fast forward a decade and I'm going full tilt into wildlife photography. Suddenly, BAM! Rainbow Bee-eaters pop back into my life like the dog when cheese is taken out of the fridge. This time, though, I wasn't missing another opportunity.
The Research Rabbit Hole
So, after some failed attempts at a photo I’m happy with, I dive headfirst into Bee-eater 101. Turns out, these little show-offs are like the Usain Bolt of the bird world when it comes to nabbing insects. But here's the kicker - they toss their catch in the air before gulping it down, like they're playing a solo game of popcorn catch. I mean, the audacity! But also, how cool. I love them.
Mission Impossible
Armed with this earth-shattering knowledge, I set myself a mission: capture that perfect mid-air insect toss. Spoiler alert: it turned into a year-long saga of many perfectly fine photos but not the “popcorn toss”. If my camera could talk, it'd probably tell you I was losing the plot.
The "Aha!" Moment
Here's where all that research paid off. Turns out, these crafty little birds often return to the same perch after a successful hunt. It's like they've got their favourite dinner table picked out. This nugget of info was gold - now I could set up camp and wait for the action to come to me.
The Moment of Truth
So there I am, standing in the scorching sun for over an hour, camera on a monopod, trained on this one perch like my life depended on it. I'm pretty sure I was starting to hallucinate from the heat, seeing mirages of Rainbow Bee-eaters doing the cha-cha.
And then, BOOM! It happens. This little feathered acrobat lands on the perch, bug in beak, and does its thing. My finger hits that shutter faster than you can say "wildlife tricks", and I knew. This was it. The money shot. The holy popcorn grail of my Bee-eater quest.
The Deep and Meaningful Bit
Looking back, this whole experience really hammered home the importance of patience with wildlife photography. It also showed me that knowing your subject inside out can be the difference between a nice shot and a "hold my beer" moment.
But you know what? The best part wasn't even getting the shot (don't tell my camera I said that). It was the whole journey - learning about these incredible birds, watching them go about their day, and feeling like I was part of their world for a bit. That's the real good stuff.
One of my favourite memories is standing there on one of those days, camera trained on the perch and “whoosh! Snap!”. One of the Rainbow Bee-eaters had flown right at me to catch a fly next to my head. I felt the breeze (considering their size that's impressive) as it flew by and in almost the same instant heard the snap of its beak as it caught the fly on the wing. A truly awesome moment.
So, there you have it - my Rainbow Bee-eater saga. Is it the perfect shot? Is it the best I can do? No and probably not. But it was the first time I captured that popcorn toss and it was a considerable yet fun effort. I’m onto other birds now but I look forward to coming back to these awesome birds and trying for more popcorn toss photos.
