It was at the same time as I saw the bathing Oystercatcher. Just a few yards away by the mud bank this large grey and white bird had caught an eel. The Siddick Ponds contain a lot of eels, and there are usually several Grey Herons there at any one time although not always as successful as this.
At first it looked as though the eel was in just the right position to be swallowed, but maybe the bird hadn’t quite got a good enough grip, so s/he put it down briefly on the ground.
Unfortunately the new grip wasn’t any better. In fact the slippery creature was now free to wriggle at both ends and there was no way that it was going to go down that long throat from this position. Things weren’t looking good for the evening meal.
The bird’s next step surprised me. The water was the eel’s natural element but yet the Heron put it back there.
This seemed risky to me, but maybe this was an experienced eel catcher and knew how to manipulate it with the lubrication of the water. The eel was swirled around briefly and then pulled once again out into the air.
This time it’s right. Head first and well into the long bill. with the use of its tongue the bird was now able to pull it further in and then the powerful throat muscles would take over.
Still the eel was wriggling but there was no escape now. The evening meal was secure, and a minute or so later s/he was off wading into the water to look for more.
Hungry Heron looks for more
For more see the British Trust for Ornithology’s Bird Facts page on the Grey Heron.
