the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles |
|
Magpie attacks rat |
Post Reply |
Author | |
Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: 07 May 2014 at 7:14pm |
Hi all,
while leaving a local herp site i chanced upon a Magpie predating a young rat in the road. At first, the - then unharmed - rodent fought back with vigour, biting the bird and causing it to release before scurrying away. But the corvid was determined and after a few minutes of back and forth across the road 'bird and mouse' antics and repeated peckings, the Magpie eventually flew off with the prize in its bill. Pleasingly, I got some footage of last moments of the event too! Something for Youtube perhaps. |
|
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
nice obs Ben; look forward to seeing the Youtube footage!
|
|
Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
thanks Will and good idea (in the 'Combos' thread) for a subtopic. Perhaps a thread of interesting wildlife observations/anecdotes would would make good reading for folks too?
Re the above; just to add, the Magpie showed typical corvid intelligence in attempting to clasp the rat's muzzle wherever possible - thereby disabling it's dental defence. Despite how it looks, the fleet-footed rat gave the bird a damn good run for its money at first and probably would have escaped had it not had the misfortune of heading into the solid wall on the left of the pic. |
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Fascinating observation Ben, amazing you managed to get some images to share too.
|
|
Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Re Ben's suggestion of 'interesting wildlife observations', perhaps I could give one. When I went out on the heath one evening the other week I saw a most peculiar thing. I guess it was a polecat ferret - I've not seen one before - it was off-white in colour and had a high arched back. Bigger than a large cat. I half wondered if it was an albino otter! It was working along the edge of a heathland track and kept disappearing into the heather and then reappearing. The wind was in our favour so it was quite easy to see as not far away. I didn't have my camera. It was 8.30pm. I guess someone had been using it on the heath and it had got away. We were a good distance from any houses. Apart from two Dartford Warblers it was all the wildlife we saw!
|
|
Suz
|
|
Robert V
Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Great pics Ben... And on of the worst sights I have seen was a group of three Magpies attacking a Jay. Even from a hard nosed point of view you couldn't help but feel sorry for it. Suz, do you know if they still use Ferrets down your way for flushing out Rabbits? R |
|
RobV
|
|
Robert V
Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
And taliking of Rabbits,
I now have a bunny nursery in my back garden...why? Because I fixed the chicken wire fence so the adults can jump over (apparently) but the young can't get back out to the fields! And the Little Owl seems to know that, waits all day on the fence post... |
|
RobV
|
|
AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Liz Whats all these traffic lights in what looks like a leafy lane keith
Edited by AGILIS - 17 May 2014 at 9:16am |
|
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
|
|
Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
thanks for all the comments and observation tales folks. Wonder what it was Suz?
Gemma, this is why i own a bridge camera - ive always got it in my pocket, at the ready for the unexpected! Speaking of Jays Rob, and by strange coincidence, a work colleague witnessed an autotomised Slow worm tail being pecked at by a Jay just last week. He didn't have his camera but commented that the Jay didn't quite know what to make of the thrashing limb it was confronted with and responded with caution. Fascinating! Great Little Owl pic! Yes it was a dead-end, leafy lane leading to a lake behind the camera Keith, but just above where the wall on the left ends, it joins a busy main road. |
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |