• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.
And the catch
Jaysan

And the catch (Ardea cinerea)

I think its a vole... Guess it didn't stand a chance against the heron. The heron moved towards the pond, where it swallowed the prey. It then washed the blood off its its bill and settled to looking like nothing had happened.
Click to expand...
Habitat
Wetland
Location
Musselburgh lagoon
Date taken
October 2021
Scientific name
Ardea cinerea
Equipment used
Canon EOS R: 100-400
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: delia todd, Ozprey1 and mariae
Doc Duck
Great series! Is that perhaps a shrew the heron has caught? Not sure if that's a pointy nose or a paw sticking out from behind its head. Oh, and I left a reply to your teal questions. Copying it here so you don't have to look it up in the other post:
Jaysan said:
After the breeding season. Is it moulting by any chance? By the way, what are the cream colour projections under its tail?
Click to expand...
Definitely moulting, but I'm not sure whether it's moulting into or out of breeding season plumage. They spend their breeding season at more remote areas, so I'm not sure when the males lose their breeding colors and when they regain them. Perhaps they wait out the moult while they're away and don't return for the winter until they're at least able to fly again ...? The male mallards come back to the river and parks in town to moult, but are finished now and back in full breeding glory. As for the cream-colored projections, I think they're new feathers emerging. Or wet feathers. These teal have a cream-colored triangular patch by the rump. It's one of the long-distance field signs one can use for ID.
 
Jaysan
Doc Duck said:
Great series! Is that perhaps a shrew the heron has caught? Not sure if that's a pointy nose or a paw sticking out from behind its head. Oh, and I left a reply to your teal questions. Copying it here so you don't have to look it up in the other post:

Definitely moulting, but I'm not sure whether it's moulting into or out of breeding season plumage. They spend their breeding season at more remote areas, so I'm not sure when the males lose their breeding colors and when they regain them. Perhaps they wait out the moult while they're away and don't return for the winter until they're at least able to fly again ...? The male mallards come back to the river and parks in town to moult, but are finished now and back in full breeding glory. As for the cream-colored projections, I think they're new feathers emerging. Or wet feathers. These teal have a cream-colored triangular patch by the rump. It's one of the long-distance field signs one can use for ID.
Click to expand...
Thanks Ann. It was its paw. Have another shot where we can see the rounded face. And thanks for the info on the green winged teal. I would not have distinguished it from a common teal - particularly one in moult. Have only read about it. Great work.
 
delia todd
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
I love this image Sandeep.... a wonderful twist in his neck too LOL.

Many thanks for this lovely picture my friend.

Hope you're fairing well lad.
 

Media information

Category
Britain & Europe
Added by
Jaysan
Date added
View count
679
Comment count
11

Image metadata

Device
Canon Canon EOS R
Aperture
ƒ/8
Focal length
400.0 mm
Exposure time
1/6400 second(s)
ISO
1600
Filename
1H0A8656.JPG
File size
748.9 KB
Date taken
Sun, 03 October 2021 10:21 AM
Dimensions
800px x 1200px

Share this media

Back
Top