Helpless mother duck can't stop heron from stealing her duckling after it swam off alone on lake

By Daily Mail Reporter


A duckling shrieked in terror as it was speared and killed by a predatory heron after swimming away from its mum on a lake.

The fluffy youngster had been sheltering near reeds at a nature reserve when it left the security of its mum's shadow.

The helpless mum squawked and flapped her wings to try and scare off the grey heron but failed to save her chick.

Lunchtime: This fluffy duckling screamed in terror as it was speared by a heron after swimming away from its mum on a lake


Photographer Keith Cochrane, 55, witnessed the attack on the family of mallards at Big Waters Nature Reserve, near Newcastle.

He said: 'l noticed a heron standing on the bank of the lake, quite close to the family of mallard ducks.

'One of the ducklings swam away from the family group, which is exactly what the heron was waiting for.

Too late: The youngster's mother can be seen flapping to try and rescue her baby, but the heron flies off with its prey


'It took off and tried to catch the duckling a few times but each time the duckling would dive under the water to avoid it.

'However, the heron never gave up and it got another chance when the duckling moved to shallower water.

'The heron landed in the water, struck down with its sharp beak and lifted its head out of the water with the duckling impaled on its beak.

'It took off from the water with the duckling calling to its mum.

'The heron carried it to the bank of the lake, where it tried to kill the duckling.


Back to nature: Photographer Keith Cochrane, 55, witnessed the attack on the family of mallards at Big Waters Nature Reserve, near Newcastle


'The mother heard her young calling out and flew at the heron again and again but to know avail.'

Keith, from Blyth, Northumberland, added: 'The heron grabbed the baby, took off and flew to another part of the lake to finish off the duckling and have his lunch.

'It left the mother calling for her baby that never came back.

'However, the heron did return about thirty minutes later, perhaps to try for a second duckling.

'This left me feeling sad for the duckling but it drove home the harsh reality of nature in the raw.

'l was pleased that l was able to capture such a thing on camera as not many people get to see this side of nature.'



source:dailymail

Who's the bird brain? Heron fishes from a 'rock' which suddenly comes alive

By Daily Mail


The heron landed on what looked like a rock, having spied a good spot on which to perch while looking for fish


This heron was in for a shock, when the 'rock' it was perched on to fish from turned out to be a hippo.

The bird realised something strange was going on, at Kruger National Park, South Africa, after the spot it had landed on suddenly began to move.

However, undeterred from its task, the clever heron continued to use the unsuspecting mammal as the perfect hunting platform.


During the remarkable 10-minute encounter the heron desperately tried to keep balance as the hippo repeatedly came up for air.

Finally, it managed to spot a frog in the water, which it skilfully picked up in its beak before flying off with its catch.

At first, British photographer Andrew Forsyth thought the heron was sitting on top of a small mud island.

It was only when the huge creature emerged from the water that he realised it was a hippo wallowing in a mud bath.

The 42-year-old from Brighton, East Sussex, said: 'The scene was already quite special because there was an orange haze caused by bush fires that raged in the distance as the sun went down.

The hippo begins to rise up out of the water but the clever heron continues to surf the mammal


'I spotted the heron on what I thought was a small mud island and watched it as it looked for fish for several minutes.

'Suddenly the "island" rose up out of the water, two nostrils appeared and took a big breath then went under again.

'I watched it for several minutes, again with the heron looking out for fish passing by, the hippo rising and falling occasionally as he breathed.

'The hippo didn't seem to mind the presence of the passenger - I do wonder if it felt like a good back scratch for him.'

The heron manages to stay atop the hippo - and even catches a frog while riding the animal


Mr Forsyth continued: 'The hippo rose and sank a few times more and the heron stayed put stubbornly refusing to be offloaded, despite a few balancing problems which were corrected by opening his wings.

'At last the hippo had enough and rose high out of the water, turned and walked towards a shallow section of the lake, the heron appearing to surf on his back as he went.

'As he sank down below the water again he obviously disturbed a frog, the heron seized his chance to grab a quick meal and flew off with the prize.

'The fact that such a large animal is also likely to disturb fish and amphibians hiding in the bed of the lake is probably a bonus for him, one that paid off here.'

The photographer added: 'I've made several trips to Kruger and not seen behaviour like this before or since, so I feel privileged to have seen this interaction between a hunter and another animal that inadvertently helps him catch his prey.'


source:dailymail

No mercy: Moment a grey heron swoops in to grab its first duckling

By ANNA EDWARDS

Too late: The terrified duckling quacks in panic as the heron snaps it up


These amazing photos capture the moment a heron snapped up two newborn ducklings as their mother helplessly watched.

The drama began when the heron swooped over a lake in Dublin and attempted to panic ducks and pick off any stray birds as it searched for its next meal.

A terrified mother duck tried to shepherd her family of eight ducklings - born just the day before - into the safety of some reeds by the side of the lake.


Rush to the reeds: The mother duck frantically tries to get her day old ducklings to shelter in some plants


But the wily bird had spotted this mother's nest and was laying in wait to gobble not one, but two of her precious offspring.

Photographer, Paul Hughes, 40, from Dublin witnessed the event.

'The heron was trying to scare the ducklings away from their parents so it could pick up the stragglers,' he said.

'The mother was trying to herd her young to the safety of an island in the lake as well as the nearby reed beds.

'But this heron was very canny - he had clocked this plan and had one of his own.
'He went right in for the kill with no messing about.

'It's part of nature and people should understand that.'


Back for seconds: The heron holds up its second catch of the day


Gobbled up: The heron eats the baby bird, leaving the distressed mother duck with just six of her eight babies left


Herons, which stand at 40 inches tall, with a 77 inches wingspan and a weight around 4lbs, also raise their young this time of year.

Mother herons lay between four and five pale blue eggs - when they hatch the chicks require constant food to avoid starvation.

Herons usually feast on fish or frogs and are incredibly patient creatures, standing still for long periods of time before catching their prey by striking with their long beaks.

Once it has returned with food the parent heron will cough up the partially digested remains for their offspring to eat.

Heron chicks are prone to cold - which means the parents must not leave their young for too long or they will die.

This means they are in a constant battle against time to find as much food as possible to increase the chances of their own chicks surviving.


source: dailymail