Saturday 14 December 2013

Little Grebe eats fish and Water Rail returns

Little Grebe eating fish, Tachybaptus ruficollis
On Wednesday morning I joined another Heyshott work party. On the way home I stopped at the Arundel WWT. Mallard, Black-headed Gulls, Shoveler, Water Rail, Wigeon, Shelducks and Teal were all observed from the Sand Martin hide. I made another visit on Thursday afternoon and a mist descended. I was fortunate to see the Water Rail again plus a Little Grebe trying to swallow a fish that was a bit big for it.
Heyshott escarpment
Heyshott work party
Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

female Mallard feeding on vegetation, Anas platyrhynchos
Shovelers, Anas clypeata
Shoveler, Anas clypeata
Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus



male Wigeon, Anas penelope
pair of Wigeon, Anas penelope
Thursday:
from Sand Martin hide
Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Little Grebe eating fish, Tachybaptus ruficollis  






Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
Shelducks and Tufted Duck
Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna

Teal, Anas crecca
Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus


Autumn colours
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2 comments:

  1. Unknown31 July 2016 at 03:37

    Cool captures and blog here! I initially noticed your "grebe vs fish" shots.

    That looks like a big fish (you know what kind?) staring down its captor's throat here! So could the bird really manage to win the battle and gulp that whole thing down entirely okay?? Does the fish put up a good fight, if eaten, does the unlucky prey get swallowed wriggling all the way as well?!

    -Kyle

    ReplyDelete
  2. Colin Knight31 July 2016 at 08:03

    I'm guessing rudd or roach. No idea about the outcome. I imagine it wriggles all the way down...

    ReplyDelete

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