Scott Ritchie | Guest Contributor
Damn, missed him again! Cairns Cemetery is a lovely spot to bird in our region. And one bird I’ve been especially attracted to is the Rainbow Bee-eater. This stunning little bird with its rainbow plumage builds nest burrows in the sandy soils of the Cemetery. They perch atop old lichen-encrusted tombstones, then suddenly dart off to snatch insects on the wing. My nickname for them is flying forceps.
I’ve been trying to photograph these radiant birds at the moment they launch in flight, their vibrant orange, blue and green wings contrasting with the white and grey tombstones. But until recently, I have always failed. By the time I see the bird and hit the shutter, he’s halfway out of the frame.
But technology marches on. Many of the new mirrorless 35-mm cameras have a pre-capture mode. It’s time machine technology. It allows you to capture images moments before you hit the shutter. I purchased a Canon R5-Mark 2 largely because of this feature.
To get my bee-eaters shots, all I need to do is find a tombstone, find perching bee-eater, and engage pre-capture. Then wait. I often shot from inside my car, using it as a hide to avoid spooking the bird. When it launched in flight, I hit the shutter. Instead of the bird flying out of the edge of the frame, I have a whole sequence of images from the time the bird squats for launch until it flies off and away from the tombstone. I’ve got my tool.
So this past spring I’ve spent early mornings and late afternoons capturing Rainbow Bee-eaters doing what they do best. Here are some of my favourite images from my efforts to chronicle the Rainbow Bee-eaters of the Cairns Cemetery.
Below is my first successful use of the Canon R5 - 2 pre-capture. I caught a whole sequence of this female Rainbow Bee-eater launching off this old Gothic cross tombstone. This (below) is my favourite.
The Rainbow Bee-eaters prefer the older burial sites situated on elevated, well-drained sandy soil. Not only is it conducive to burrow digging, but the water from heavy rains rapidly drains off.
One of the Bee-eaters’ favourite tombstones, and mine too, was the angel boy tombstone. Here (below) the Bee-eater pivots in a stall manoeuvre before landing on the wings of this memorable sculpture.
In addition to bees, the Rainbow Bee-eaters really preyed-out on dragonflies that were foolish enough to fly over the Cemetery.
The late afternoon sun brings out the warm, golden hues of a Rainbow Bee-eater’s wings as it comes in for landing.
Rainbow Bee-eaters often employ family members to help rear their chicks. Here (below) a male and female, along with perhaps a member of last year’s brood, bring food to the nestlings.
Rainbow Bee-eaters have to put up with heavy rain in Cairns, especially in the Wet Season.
Bee-eaters align their kill so that it is head first, aerodynamically positioned for best flight.
They sunbathe sections of their skin in order to help mobilise oils used in preening, and also to get rid of nasty skin parasites.
