I was in the garden today watching the birds on the lawn (pelouse) and I had a very special visitor
<Digimax i6 PMP, Samsung #11 PMP>
a HOOPOE. Click on the link and you can listen to its call which is unique. It says "oupoupoup", that is why it is called a hoopoe.
It didn't come very near, I watched it with binoculars (jumelles) but I got a photo of it on the post(poteau) with a big insect in its beak, probable a cricket (grillon). It has a very long pointed beak to dig in the lawn to catch insects and larvae. When it flies you can see its black and white striped wings and when it is afraid (apeuré) it lifts a beautiful CREST (crête) on its head.
It comes here at the same time as the swallows (hirondelles) and the cuckoo and it nestsin the pigeon tower in the neighbour's (voisin) garden. I watched it for at least 20 minutes and it caught a lot of insects.
I read in WIKIPEDIA that it is the national bird of Israel.