Red Arrows

Few birds are as lovely as the bee-eaters and supreme amongst them has to be the Southern Carmine Bee-eater, especially when pink-tinged clouds of them swarm around their nesting colonies in the banks of Africa's great rivers, like the Zambezi. For an outstanding visual essay on these lovely creatures click on Africa – Birds & Birding magazine at www.africageographic.com or look for the August/September issue, packed with all the usual delights expected from the continent’s premier birding magazine. On sale in all good bookstores from the weekend.