LT COL NOEL ELLIS
01/VI/2025
I was scrolling through the memories on my mobile. There was this small bird, smaller and much thinner than a sparrow but with various shades of green and yellow visited our garden yesterday in search of fun and food besides catching bees.
Bees have been frequenting our water lily tubs since the summer started. There are numerous hives in the vicinity. But the ‘bee hunters’ rather the ‘Bee Eaters’ were absent from the scene till now. These girls know where to find bees. Even the bees know that they would be food once the bee eaters arrive.
However, nature has its own checks and balances to keep all population under check except one species called Mankind!
Watering the pots, cleaning water lily tubs, and feeding the fish takes a good amount of time. Before the sun went down, I got alerted to some hectic bird activity from the rooftop garden. It was also a chance to photograph the birds which are regulars. I wait for them and probably they too have reciprocal feelings for me.
Some pose, some are shy, some bring partners, some come alone and some come with their complete family. That is what happened today.
It was a family of four ‘Bee Eaters’ who paid their first visit this season. Papa eater, Mama eater and two baby eaters. Papa was the alpha male had a sword-like extension from its tail. Mama was a little plumper but without that tail sword.
The chicks were learning the ropes by taking flying and shikar lessons. The parent birds brought them out for training and feeding. The babies were ever hungry and begging for a fresh bee incessantly.
I had the privilege to taste honey bees in Nagaland. They were served to me by the headman or the ‘Gaon Bura’ of ‘Pudanmai’ village. Those guys tame honey bees for harvesting honey. I being an honoured guest, the family scooped out a few, fried them crisp till their wings separated. They tasted delicious like sour ‘murmuras’.
A little salt, a squeeze of lemon, I requested them not to sprinkle the local chillies for obvious reasons, some finely chopped onions were snacks with the local rice beer called ‘Zutho’. The bee snack tasted better than peanuts done the same way. Dried and smoked pork was also offered. I presented the gaon Bura with a bottle of Rum as a return gift and became good friends.
Be that as it may. Mama and Papa Beaters would take off from the tree, glide with wings fully spread, home on to a bee, catch it in its beak and fly back to where the chick was waiting. A few whacks on the branch to the bee to bid it farewell, while the baby softly shook its wings to remind the parents to hurry up. A quick transfer of the bee from beak to beak and that’s it.
After a catch, the parents took a break to rest and scan the surroundings for new bees. These birds understand their movement pattern, to and from their bee hives. Bees have a fixed route unless they are exploring new places. On the way, they do not know that an ambush by the bee eaters is waiting for them.
I was amazed at the accuracy of the Bee Eater’s ‘strike rate’. Another plus point is their eyesight. To spot a bee about 20-30m away, calculate its flight speed, adjust their own speed and rate of descent/angle of attack, pick them out of thin air for a meal and that too with fading light at dusk.
The bees are in numbers so probably they won’t be missed by their ‘hive family’. Probably, they expect losses, like we expect losses of aircrafts in a war. For the bee eaters it is frolic time and also time to test and hone their bee killing skills. It is a matter of survival.
For a moment the birds would halt to zero on their targets. One leap from the branch and the job was done. Papa, mama, and babies all go home well fed to relax and rewind and discuss the day's proceedings.
Bees are no match. Before they can bring their ‘missile’ called ‘sting’ at their rear end to use, they are intercepted and destroyed like we did to the Paki drones.
I didn’t know that the bees would launch an attack on the bee eaters too, till I filmed it. They sent their soldier bees to fight any threat on the orders of the Queen bee. Little that they realise that they would be walking into the trap laid by other bee eaters and never return.
I bid the birds goodnight, till we meet again. Will they be hunting tomorrow again? I wonder!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS
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