A sad end to a tropical family's rare visit to Hereford - August 2nd, 2005

Staff from allpay.net joined thousands who flocked to the banks of the River Wye in Hereford for a glimpse of a colourful and tropical young family.

Bird lovers from all over the country descended on Herefordshire for a rare sight of bee-eaters nesting in the UK.

Bee-eaters are one of Europe's most colourful birds and had successfully bred hundreds of miles from their normal breeding area in southern Europe.

It was only the fourth time that bee-eaters had nested in the UK, having made their summer home in a riverbank at Hampton Bishop, near Hereford.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) set up a special stand with binoculars and telescopes, so bird watchers could enjoy the sight of the two adults and their breed.

Bee-eaters normally live in North West Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East in the summer and Africa in the winter.

But the tale had a tragic ending - foxes raided the bee-eaters' nest and the two fledgling bee-eaters were killed.

Andy Waters, RSPB Public Affairs Officer, said:

"It's impossible to stop ground predators. And, even if we had seen the foxes, we would have been faced with a very tough decision. It was an incredible end to the story."

Bee-eaters are about the size of mistle thrushes, with long wings and a tail. They have a bill like a pair of forceps and are skilled at catching large insects in flight. Bees are its favourite food, but the Herefordshire pair caught large dragonflies over the water.

allpay Senior Sales Administrator Rosemary Webley and her husband John are keen bird watchers and spent an-hour-and-a-half admiring the bee-eaters.

"You would not have been able to see something like that at any other time,"

she beamed after returning from her visit.

"It's the colour that makes bee-eaters so special. They are beautiful birds and there is nothing similar that lives in this country."

Human Resources Officer Jessica Johnson was also thrilled to catch a glimpse of the tropical bird.

"It was brilliant to see the birds; they were gorgeous. Had I not gone to see them, it would have been an opportunity missed. I am not a bird watcher, but I was so excited to see them."

And Graphic Designer Rachael James said:

"Bee-eaters are very exotic with lovely features and an array of beautiful colours. I am glad that I went to see them."

Mr Waters said the RSPB officers were devastated and heartbroken by the untimely intervention of the foxes.

"The overwhelming feeling is that you must let nature take its natural course. And, with our climate becoming warmer, we hope to see more bee-eaters visiting the UK in the future."

Photos by: Andy Hay - rspb-images.com