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Renting a villa in Fornells on Menorca is the perfect solution for the avid bird watcher who wants to combine his favourite hobby with a luxurious holiday. Dozens of different species of birds flock to the island, including many different types of the colourful bee-eater. In between observation trips to the fields, marshlands, and hills where Menorca’s birds frequent, you can come and go from your villa as you please. Enjoy a long, relaxing lounge by the pool after a day hiking, or enjoy the convenience of having somewhere to wash those mud and dust-covered clothes! And even if you’re not a bird lover – it’s a great way to spend a Menorcan holiday in the lap of luxury. 26 Species of Bee-Eater to Choose From There are 26 species of bee-eater. Each has its own distinctive plumage and colouring but the one you’re most likely to come across in Menorca is the European Bee-Eater. As its name suggests, its main food includes bees and wasps. It may be not quite enough to protect you from a bee sting, but this magnificent creature is still a sight that turns heads. It has a long, slender body with a long, thin and slightly downturned bill that ends in a sharp point. This gives it all the advantage it needs when it’s hunting its favourite food – bees and wasps. Its colouring is also what can only be called dazzling: blue plumage on its belly, a throat blazing with bright sun-gold feathers, reddish-brown wings and back, and a vibrant green tail. When you see this bird, you’ll be stunned by its technicolour beauty. We already said that the bird’s favourite foods are bees and wasps. But these have quite unpleasant stings and venom that need to be disposed of before they can be eaten safely. To achieve this, the bee-eater rubs the bee or wasp on a hard surface to remove the sting and venom. The Bee-Eater in Menorca A villa in Fornells is the perfect staging post for your quest to find the European Bee-Eater. It can often be found nesting and breeding during the spring months in sand burrows in the Cala Tirant nature park in the north of Menorca near Fornells. The bee-eater is a social creature and forms large colonies of birds that carve out nesting burrows in sand banks and river banks. Because it nests underground, the bird is plagued by all sort of creepy crawlies. As a result, you may well see many of them outside busy preening themselves and cleaning their feathers to make sure that they’re ready for the hunt. Keep Your Camera Ready We all love to take photographs while on holiday – and you’ll find plenty of subjects to snap when exploring the island from your villa in Fornells. But keep your camera handy when you’re out searching for the European Bee-Eater because if you manage to get some shots of this colourful, technicolour bird, you’ll have a photograph that will leave your friends stunned and amazed. Author Plate Brenda Jaaback, Managing Director of Bartle Holidays, is a renowned Menorca expert. From its history to its people and from its wildlife to its cuisine - no secret of the island remains hidden to her. Personally selecting the finest properties for her clients, Brenda is the go-to person for anyone looking for a villa in Fornells or the surrounding areas for a relaxing holiday. Bartle Holidays makes no warranty as to the accuracy of information contained in this article and excludes any liability of any kind for the information.
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