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The Grey Herons Appetite For Rats.

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    #2
    kildare.17hmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,617 ✭✭✭kildare.17hmr


    seen them at it a few times on the canal around kildare durin the snow too, couldnt believe it when i saw it first! great video fair play


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    #3
    BargainHunter
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭BargainHunter


    Fantastic piece of video, Wildirishswan. Well done!

    Was it shot with a regular camcorder or a more professional video camera? The video quality is excellent.


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    #4
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Great video but it looks a dicey meal if the rat was still alive when swallowed. :D


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    #5
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,640 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    kildare.17hmr wrote: »
    seen them at it a few times on the canal around kildare durin the snow too, couldnt believe it when i saw it first! great video fair play

    Even better is the fact that young mink are also on the menu:)


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    #6
    wildirishswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭wildirishswan


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Fantastic piece of video, Wildirishswan. Well done!

    Was it shot with a regular camcorder or a more professional video camera? The video quality is excellent.

    Thank you, it was shot using a mini dv camcorder.


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    #7
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    i was just discussing with someone recently about what impact the disappearance of non-native species such as rats would have on predators such as raptors (and now herons, it seems); does anyone know how much of their diet rats would entail?


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    #8
    wildirishswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭wildirishswan


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    i was just discussing with someone recently about what impact the disappearance of non-native species such as rats would have on predators such as raptors (and now herons, it seems); does anyone know how much of their diet rats would entail?

    I have seen a Heron catch and eat a full grown adult Rat and moments later it went hunting for another. I have watched one particular Grey Heron hunt for a Rat or Rats everyday... it was not always successful.

    I think a proper study should be done.


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    #9
    wildirishswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭wildirishswan


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Even better is the fact that young mink are also on the menu:)

    That would be a sight.


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    #10
    Mothman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    Many years ago on the farm, there was a Heron. I saw it most days over a period of a month or more. Always near a hedgerow...nowhere near water.

    Had me puzzled until one day I stumbled across it with a large rat :D


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    #11
    trebor28
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭trebor28


    great vid, nearly got sick at the thoughts of it.

    looked like the heron was having second thoughts too just after swallowing it.


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    #12
    Antiquo
    Registered Users Posts: 290 ✭✭Antiquo


    Well caught and good vid.

    I've a couple of herons that come by who have a taste for goldfish, Koi and frogs. Now if I could get them off these and into rats... :)


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    #13
    Cardynal
    Registered Users Posts: 143 ✭✭Cardynal


    Well captured , Great video.
    Saw one struggle with a rat on the Barrow once for about 10 mins , super birds.


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    #14
    snowstreams
    Registered Users Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭snowstreams


    Great video. I wonder are heron populations a lot bigger than they used to be in the past? And as a result they are widening their diets?
    Its great to see them so regularly but I hope they dont get a bad reputation from game keepers.
    I know of one man who rears a few ducks. He was saying that a lot of his young ducklings go missing when the heron is around.
    So he ended up shooting one, to find about 8 ducklings inside in his stomach!
    Are herons a protected species? I was surprised to hear that they could eat so much ducklings.


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    #15
    boneless
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,487 ✭✭✭boneless


    Herons are very predatory and opportunistic birds. I have seen them take rats, frogs, duckling, young moorhens and such. A friend of mine has spotted them feeding on road kill as well.


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    #16
    JJayoo
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭JJayoo


    Cool vid, would never have thought the heron could swallow something so big


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    #17
    snowstreams
    Registered Users Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭snowstreams


    boneless wrote: »
    Herons are very predatory and opportunistic birds. I have seen them take rats, frogs, duckling, young moorhens and such. A friend of mine has spotted them feeding on road kill as well.

    They're a bit like maribou storks so, in the way that they will eat anything!
    There very handy to have as a top predator so.


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