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Hurried guests

One day two beautiful hoopoes (Upupa epops) visited my garden.

They flew to the ground and sat down among plants (second one is behind the high twigs on the right).

They sat for a moment, flew to the timber, looked around....

...and flew away

Comment by Rhonda Fisher on June 15, 2012 at 9:12am: They are gorgeous Anna. Great camera work too.

Comment by McBIRDY - Jean DUHANT on June 15, 2012 at 9:34am: Very nice Anna !

Isnt'it a rare bird ?

Comment by Anna Kazimierowicz on June 15, 2012 at 2:23pm: In my garden I saw hoopoes once last year but they were to far to take a photo. This time they were closer so photos taken through the window with too short lens:-(

Of cousce this species is protected but not endangered. We have in our vicinity for sure two pairs.

I hope next encounter will be closer:-)

Comment by Cornelia on June 15, 2012 at 11:39pm: How fortunate for you! There are some here in Switzerland as well this year - more than other years - but I have yet to see one! Great visitors!

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic the hoepoe is on the red list 'highly endangered' - in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg it is on the same list under 'extinct'! So please take care of their environment, if you stil have some in your country and don't disturb their breeding - I hope they get used to your garden, Anna :-).

Comment by Anna Kazimierowicz on June 16, 2012 at 3:11pm: I live in a protected scenery area so we have a lot nature attractions here, f.e. I can't line the roof now because the starlings have a nest there. But I can each day observe them flying with earthworms or other worms to feed chicks. And earlier free concerts of male sitting on the ridge...

Comment by Chantal McIlveen-Wright on June 16, 2012 at 3:30pm: Never saw hoopoes in my life!! well not yet, so really appreciate your beautiful pictures Anna!!!! however, invaded by starlings here .... :-)

Comment by Rhonda Fisher on June 16, 2012 at 5:48pm: Sorry Anna but starlings are a pest here. They are very aggressive to our native birds. Those and Indian Minors are known as flying rats in our household and the boys chase them out of the garden. Other birds they live and let live.

Comment by Cornelia on June 17, 2012 at 1:11am: This is truly one of the problems, we face in bird populations these days, Rhonda! The Indian Myna has escaped into the wild in South Africa only about 100 years ago, yet it's population has exploded and you could call it an invasive pest (in South Africa, Australia and Hawaii); the Indian Myna is very territorial and is chasing other birds out of their nests and killing their young ones!! I don't know about the starling.

Comment by Anna Kazimierowicz on June 17, 2012 at 4:09am: Starlings are under protection in Poland. They are pest in orchards, owners of cherry tries in their own gardens hate these birds too, because a flock of starlings can eat all fruits from the tree in the blink of the eye. I know also about taking over other birds' nests (hollows) by starlings. I don't know how often it happens but if there is too less hollows in the wood - simple law of nature.

I personally prefer to have starlings even if my roof is dirty and wrecked by their excrements.

I think there is less problems with too many birds (or other animals) than with reverse situation.

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