Fishing in Para Creek...

[khiemtran]

Come with me now as we investigate the fishers of Para Creek. Let's start with this striated heron...



It stands by the bank and waits, still as a rock, even though lots of fish can be seen darting about in the shallow water. For he is a patient fellow...



Some of the fish are even big enough for humans to eat...



But the heron is after something smaller. Slowly, silently, it creeps into the water...



And when the moment is right, it strikes.



A fine catch, but the heron doesn't eat it straight away. Instead, he carries it over the rocks and stands still with it flopping in his beak. Fish and bird stand locked together eye to eye.



After it hasn't moved for several seconds, he places the fish on the rocks and watches it carefully.



When it still hasn't moved, he picks it up again, and this time he swallows it whole.



NB: if you ever find yourself a fish being caught by a heron, your best bet seems to be to play dead as soon as possible and hope you get put down somewhere you can swim for your life. You're welcome.

Meanwhile, this egret is also fishing in the same creek...



It's prey is much smaller.



But it plucks it out of a magic basin in the middle of the creek...

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

The return of Mr Furtive! Fabulous shots.

Looks like a very healthy population of fish in the creek...

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

The creek is actually teeming with fish at the moment. That might be because it's very low and the fish are all caught in a small volume of water. The birds certainly seem to be eating very well...

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I wonder why the heron does that. You think it's to make sure it's alive?

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think it was to make sure it was dead. It basically just held it up out of the water and waited patiently until it died. I guess it's easier to swallow that way...