Bee Eater - I never gave up!

There are many birds in Italy which I hoped to photograph, but the excitement of the day when I saw my first Bee Eater was a mix of highs and lows.  Bird Photography is not just about capturing the image. To me it's about savoring the moment.  When you have a good zoom lens it's much like watching them through the Binoculars.  I had such an adrenaline rush I froze. For a few moments I ceased to function as a Photographer and reverted to pure bird watching pleasure.

That's what happened when I saw my first Bee Eater.  The moment was all too quick and as I looked through the viewfinder I froze. But I pledged that I wouldn't give up on the Bee Eater. 

I'm soooo thrilled to tell you that today, with a lot of patience (from Deric!) and alot of perseverance (from me!) I think I've kind of cracked it.

And these are their natural, stunning colours. No Photoshopping!

EDIT: I have finally earned enough Brownie Points for my new camera now - my little Canon 100D has worked so hard in the last 18 months I've nearly killed it and it's really struggled on this trip, especially today.  Roll on the Canon 7D Mark II ... watch this space