These two White Faced Herons were fishing in the dam today. We often wonder what lives beneath the surface of the water. Not being fisher-person’s, we don’t really know the tell-tale signs, and we don’t own the right equipment to attempt to fish in it. A photograph of one White-Faced Heron holding a yabby proves there are creatures living in the dam. For international readers, a yabby is a freshwater crustacean similar to a prawn. In the half hour or so that I was watching them, the herons caught quite a few. They also ventured up onto the banks of the dam to collect insects and perhaps frogs or lizards as well. The captions below the photographs tell the rest of the story.
We often have White-Faced Herons picking their way around the edge of the dam, but it is not very often I get this close to them.At first I thought there was only one White Faced Heron, but then I saw another on the opposite side of the dam. This is where they met up.Following the meeting, the two birds fished together. Note that one has yellow legs and the other has red legs. My field guide states that the species has yellow legs, so I am not sure what the red legs indicate.This photo shows the range of soft colours in the feathers.The White-Faced Heron holds a yabby, briefly, before swallowing it whole.The two birds head in different directions. Passing each other, they create a striking pose.For half an hour I had been standing stock still, clicking the camera every so often. When I eventually had to move, the birds flew to the other side of the dam. I took this opportunity to leave them in peace.
Fifteen Acres 