Hoopoes on Fuerteventura

As the plane gained altitude and the rugged, steep cliffs of the Canary Island of La Palma disappeared more and more in the haze, I decided to come back. Was it the allure of warm semi-desert with cactus like their spurge, the rugged caldera in the northern part of the island, which had thrilled me so, or it was the most overcast, cool bay-rainforests in the center of the island? Maybe it was because of the loud booming of the frogs that filled the night in the subtropical atmosphere. Eurasian HoopoeHowever, it could also Island Canary (Serinus canaria), also commonly known as the Canaries, the endemic subspecies of our chaffinches, the La Palma Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs palmae), the Canary Islands Pipit (Anthus berthelotii), the nasal flight calls of Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris borealis) have been, or were there in the end, “only” the graceful Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), which unfortunately I could not take pictures again as I had planned it all along?

Anyway, in the fall of 2011, I visited the Canary Islands again a visit. This time was the turn of Fuerteventura and now the Photo luck finally seemed to be on my side:

On a remote poultry farm with a lot of rotten and rusty agricultural machines, more precisely, on and around the corresponding dunghill with its many small, hidden, white grubs, not two, three Hoopoes had gathered – no, there were not fewer than 9 individuals. Running busily back and forth, they punted “nervous” in the soft decomposition products around. The birds often pushed the beak from the side, i.e. with inclined head in the manure inside. The beak is very sensitive to tactile stimuli. The reaction is a rapid collapse of the beak. When the tactile grip managed to feel the prey the caterpillar was swallowed as a whole. Hoopoes impress between meals like by placing her bonnet and tail compartments. If they threaten, they are spreading their wings in addition. This happened often with so many competitors for food in such a small space. Then aggressive reations are inevitable. So it was not surprising that the hoopoe with his usually horizontally carried rear bonnet fanned the bonnet suddenly when a conspecific rival dared to go through the accepted distance. In an extreme case, a bird raised the optically effective defense by increasing the body by sudden turning of the wing on the ground at the same time spreading the tail.

The image shown here succeeded without much trouble out of the car. To camouflage the Hoopoes put no value. When I wanted to take more pictures on the last day, only 1 Hoopoe had gathered and also in a place that was simply impossible in terms of light and neckline. Yes, the photographer needs luck, too.

To cope with the growing demand for top shots of the rarer species of the Palearctic Bird-Lens is keen to enrich the range of pictures of birds you can find in the western palearctic. Trips to remote places like the Macin Mountains in Romania or to tourist spots like the Canaries (also) to capture images of rare birds of western palearctic were very successful.  A selection of nice shoots you find in the Gallery and a blog of a Iberian Chiffchaff you will here e.g.. The nice images you find in the gallery are only a first impression, what you will find in the gallery in the “Pictures Shop” very soon. Just give me a message, if I could serve you with an image needed before the new pictures are online. Other successful shootings you can see under: www.bird-lens.com

1 comment

  1. Hi, I was interested in your comments of the hoopee. This year on waking to the palya grand in caralecjo, we saw 8 or 9 alighted on the corse grass of the hotel grounds. They were unphased by people passing by. Is able to get quite a few photos. They are such beautiful birds.

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