Although the Little Grebe probably did not find it all that funny...
Yesterday afternoon a Grey Heron decided that it wanted a bit of variety in its diet and so spying a wee little Dabchick swimming by it struck out and stabbed the unsuspecting bird. The next forty minutes were, to be quite honest, quite gross with the poor grebe still struggling and waving its legs around as the Grey Heron attempted to swallow it head first while it still had some life in it.
It succeeded in getting it down the hatch a couple of times but it soon reemerged albeit slightly worse for wear before eventually managing to keep its nutritious prize on the inside.
I suspect that this is the Heron that specializes in catching Brown Rats off the foreshore as it took the grebe to its favourite spot to do the deed.
As we were all watching this unfold from inside the centre, Lawrence Rogers was in the Purfleet Hide capturing every moment in grisly detail...
Sun is shining and the wind has dropped here this morning and there are plenty of Redwings on the move so may be worth a wander to see if anything else has arrived.
9-11-14
What a great capture nature as it happens.