The rains have continued interminably and water is overflowing the Fogg Dam wall. A pied heron (Egretta picata) plucks a glassfish (Ambassidae) out of the raging waters, a spot on the road now almost impassable for vehicles.
Hundreds of water birds have followed suit, lying in ambush for any unfortunate fish that get washed across the dam wall into the floodplain. Well, except for this Australian darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae). It was actively foraging on large catfish, repeatedly returning to a clump of dirt to subdue its prey by bashing the catfish on the ground and puncturing it repeatedly with its beak. Then, in an instant the darter would maneuver the fish into its mouth in midair and the fish would vanish. Down it went. In a span of fifteen minutes the darter managed to catch and consume five catfish, and still its desire for aquatic delicacies was not quelled.
All birds in this post photographed in situ [1]
