6 Bee-eaters in Nottingham.

With Brian on a day off work we meet up at 4.30 & head up the M1 to Nottingham. It's a 2 hour drive before we drive into the farmers field at Lings farm in East Leake where the RSPB had set up safe parking for a small donation of £5 well worth that as it would have been impossible without their organisation so well done to them.
Once we cross the fast busy road we get our first sight of one of the Bee-eaters sitting high in a large Ash tree. A small walk down the bridleway path to join about sixty birders already present on site.
Three birds are seen straight away sitting out on a bare Branch & over the next 4 hours we get to see 6 Bee-eaters on the tree at the same time.
Only the second time I have seen these birds,the first time was on the Isle of Wight a few years ago.
Over the time we are here a good couple of hundred people had come to see these colourful birds & really nice to see so many young people interested.
 What we observed while looking around the gathered crowd was that cameras out scored telescopes by 5 to 1. A quick look around at Kelham Bridge on the way home in the hope of getting a year tick with a Willow Tit but once again we get a no show. We do get to see a nice long close view of a Kingfisher plus loads of Sands Martins so not a wasted trip.

A long shot of the Bee - eaters