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Grey Heron Vs Snake

4th March 2010, Nam Sang Wai.

Sorry the quality of the shots is not very good but the content maybe of interest to some people
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2801/4404995541_f1e96418ee_b.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4404997519_3b41675f39_o.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4405761784_7805384cb9_o.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2695/4405762974_760d6287f3_b.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4405763840_f8586eef62.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4405764606_515945b184_o.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4405765530_39756c4e5c_o.jpg[/img]

wonderful~ 3551004445

Great series of shots, Bob!
Just incredible and how I wished you had it on HD video ... :(

grey heron and snake

355141fe3244445

Ooops, I tried to send a reply but it didn't work. Let me try again...
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The guy looks pretty graphic, and happy, for that matter. Ah, I wish I were there...

Ngai-lai

Yes, he was pretty proud of the fact that he was going to have a big lunch, except in the 3rd photo from the top, when the snake made several attempts to bite him.

Bob

heron vs snake

Your pics tell a great story, er, maybe, a sequel to a digital story of mine:

[url]http://hk.video.yahoo.com/video/video.html?id=1651569[/url]

Enjoy,
Ngai-lai

Interesting sequence of photo's, what and opportunity to witness. The snake appears to be a young Burnese Python.

Did the Heron make any attempt to dispatch the snake in the time between your 4th and 5th shots?

A stunning sequence of photos...
This impress me that I didn't think of... Did it kill before it was swallowed? Will the snake bite off the stomach of the heron....? 3551em015445

I have it on good authority that this is probably a Mangrove Water Snake. 黑斑水蛇 [i]Enhydris bennettii[/i]

I would agree on this being a large Mangrove Water Snake - which is also a likely species at this location.
A great set of photos to document this unusual activity.

I concede - it does look like a mangrove water snake.

Now the excuse...!  I alway forget how snall Grey Herons actually are, and from some quick rough calculations based on the heron biometrics (assuming eye-bill tip length of approx. 140mm) I make the snake to be about 540-570mm in length, give or take, which is far to small for a python, (even a hatchling at 650mm).

I did initially think of MWS but it just seemed to be too big from looking at the pictures (cue chorus of yeah, yeah, chinny reckon!)

I'll wind my neck in.

Some experts also said it is a mangrove water snake

黑斑水蛇(Enhydris bennettii)

Thanks all for IDing the snake. The heron did put the snake down several times but as far as I could tell it was alive when he swallowed it. Unfortunately I only had a 400mm lens (equiv to 640mm with crop factor) and it was all happening a long way from me.

Below is a full frame shot of the action taken on the Canon 7D with 400mm lens.

Bob
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/4406306542_0a8f014e9a_o.jpg[/img]

A great series of shots, Bob.