Sunday, December 12, 2010

a good day for hunting!

No newbies to report, but did see some interesting action today!
First was a Great Blue Heron on March Valley Road (there were actually two of them there). It seemed to me kind of late for them to be around, but I'm no expert on that. Anyways, the one sticks its head into the grass and pulls out what looked like a clump of mud. He gives it a shake, dunks it in the water, lifts his head, gives it another shake (it's squirming), dunks it again, and swallows it whole. So what was it? A mouse! I didn't realize they don't just eat fish...as it turns out, they will eat small animals and are even known to choke on prey that is too big! I was kind of shocked to witness this!

 Some of us like to dunk our cookies in milk. Some of us like to dunk our mice in the stream...
wet rat.
Here's a close-up! Poor guy!
 Not long after, this red-tailed hawk swoops down onto a golf course. Looks like it got a tasty treat too!
As always, lots of hawks out and about. I'm thinking this one is a rough-legged hawk.
The quest continues for bohemian waxwings, snow buntings and northern shrikes....

2 comments:

Funkysandman said...

zomg! open season on moles...my cats are jealous. Lucky for you to capture that!

dwaynejava said...

Perhaps the rat-dipping is the Heron equivalent to our Beef-au-Jus dish? Nice catch!