Steve-h
Herons gather for the kill
There were three great grey herons at Bushy Park pond when I arrived for my morning walk. Just as I got my camera ready one took off at speed and dived into the pond near Mother Duck. It swept up into the air with something in its mouth.
At first I thought it was a duckling. But when I later put the photo onto my computer and enlarged it I saw it was a fish, probably a perch.
But it's a dangerous time for ducklings with at least three hunter–killers in the area. Not all of Mum's five chicks are likely to survive.
The death of a duckling: www.flickr.com/photos/sbh/26752860560
Herons gather for the kill
There were three great grey herons at Bushy Park pond when I arrived for my morning walk. Just as I got my camera ready one took off at speed and dived into the pond near Mother Duck. It swept up into the air with something in its mouth.
At first I thought it was a duckling. But when I later put the photo onto my computer and enlarged it I saw it was a fish, probably a perch.
But it's a dangerous time for ducklings with at least three hunter–killers in the area. Not all of Mum's five chicks are likely to survive.
The death of a duckling: www.flickr.com/photos/sbh/26752860560