This Little Heron (Butorides striatus) was observed walking on the mudflat just in front of the main hide at SBWR. The clip was shot at about 9.45am and the bird had just caught a small fish in a shallow pool. Clearing its throat, it began to shift its neck from side to side a little as if to re-align it. Then it began stalking another small fish. The bird's approach is an ultimate lesson in stalking anything. Its poise and control over its movement to the point of carefully placing its feet on the soft mud and targetting its prey is amazing.
I had previously observed, a few years ago and at the then unused lagoon at the East Coast Parkway, another little heron using small pieces of bread (thrown by park visitors to feed the fish) to bait the fish. It would break off a small piece of bread and place it within reach in the water nearby. Once a suitably sized fish approached the crumb, the bird would target it and with great accuracy catch the fish. It kept doing this for a while to great success.
Read more about this fascinating bird here :
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Butorides_striatus.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striated_Heron
Showing posts with label little heron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label little heron. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
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