Sunday, October 17, 2010

Heron's swallow follows 'mud in your eye!'

'Here's mud in your eye' perfect toast to Striated Heron (Butorides striata) yesterday on tidal mud where Herbert River meets Hinchinbrook Channel east of Ingham. Bird waited without movement for more than five minutes close to water-filled hole in mud.


Sudden strike came too fast for me.


'Whole lotta shakin' goin' on!' (with nictitating membrane protecting eye).


Mud mostly gone, time for the swallow.


Big gulp. Fish gone. 


Time to move on. Field guide does say birds can become tame near boat ramps. Not usually quite so forward as this one! 
Click pix to enlarge   

6 comments:

Andy said...

That last photo is humorous.

Tyto Tony said...

Just what I thought too. Glad you agree, Andy.

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Tony
A great sequence of images, but I also love the last one.
Denis

JSK said...

Wonderful pics! Herons are great birds. Obviously a bit cheeky too.

Jan Axel & Gloriela said...

These birds are amazing! I just saw this very same species a couple of weeks ago near Panama City, Panama.

Tyto Tony said...

Hi JSK: Thanks, they sure are.

Hi JAaAndG: Several species look similar: guess its partly convergent evolution.

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