Blue-throated Bee-Eater with Lyssa Zampa Moth

My prime target this visit to Singapore was one of the two species of Bee-eaters that migrate here. The Blue-tailed visits the area during the Northern Hemisphere's winter months, but does not breed. When they leave in late April/May the Blue-throated arrive from Indonesia to breed. This is the Blue-throated, a beautiful bird and magnificent flyer.

NPN member, P.E. Chng, was very kind to show me some of his haunts and we found this along the south coast of Singapore. P.E. is yet another great bird photographer whom I have had the good fortune to meet by chance last year, and he alerted me to the fact that these Bee-eaters will toss the prey (usually dragonflies or bees) into the air prior to swallowing, effectively to devour it head-first. This bird left his perch and snapped this Tiger Moth (probably the largest moth in the world) above P.E's parked car, which we used as a blind, and immediately returned to his perch (thank you very much). Then, it was a matter of eye-to-viewfinder and finger-to-trigger! I was very, very lucky to have got this image as the action happens in a mere flick!

1DMk2, 500mm +2.0TC, 1,2000 @ f9, ISO320, -2/3EV, flash-filled -2/3, sidekick, cropped slightly.