for Dee - DEATHMATCH 2013: Kookaburra vs Squid

[MarkP]

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Port Stevens, NSW Central Coast

M240, 4.0/90 Macro-Elmar-M

100% crops (except first photo) as I didn't to try to get closer.

 

 

Dee, following on from your kookaburra photo I thought you would like this .

 

So I'm enjoying a stroll along the water's edge in lovely Port Stevens last year...

 

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...when I hear this repeated wet slapping noise nearby and after investigating I came across this scene. A kookaburra was slapping a squid against a rock to kill and tenderise it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the squid fought back. For a short time I thought the squid may suffocate the kookaburra when it's beak was fully wrapped by the body of the squid:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kookaburra sorted this out but despite repeatedly beating the squid against the rock it couldn't get the squid off its face or eye:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kookaburra then got the upper hand (or wing) but unfortunately flew off with its nemesis attached so I missed the end of KvS DEATHMATCH 2013 .

Edited April 18, 2014 by MarkP

[pauledell]

Mark,

 

A great series of the struggles of nature.

 

Paul

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[digbyhp]

Mark,

 

That would've kept the Kooka going for months.

 

So glad we don't have to work that hard for calamari.

[platypus]

Thanks Mark, those Central Coast birds are dudes! What an absolutely extraordinary thing to witness (and to capture) that's an amazing series of photographs.

It's surprising that Kookaburras would go for anything as large and awkward, (not to mention feisty and indigestible) as that squid looked to be.

I have heard that Kookaburras will tackle a live snake, but I've always more or less accorded those yarns bush legend status, perhaps it's true after all.

Edited April 18, 2014 by platypus

[stuny]

Terrific set.

[fotografr]

Excellent sequence. Whatever the outcome, I'd be willing to bet that particular Kookaburra has taken squid off its menu.

[Iduna]

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Mark,

thanks for letting us have our share in watching this bold bird and its prey. This was a very exciting fight.

[Northwest Wanderer]

Very interesting series.

So glad you took the time to post the images along with the explanation as to what was going on.

[TheGodParticle/Hari]

Nice reportage Mark!

 

Lovely images of the dance of death

[jdsheepdog]

I have heard that Kookaburras will tackle a live snake, but I've always more or less accorded those yarns bush legend status, perhaps it's true after all.

 

No, it's true. I had a red bellied black snake, a little one, damn near dropped on me by a kookaburra. The snake landed on a rock nearby from a great height, and the kookaburra was right behind it to grab it again, and the bird dropped it repeatedly until all the fight was gone out of it.

 

Lovely series of photos, too.

[MarkP]

Great story jd.

 

Glad you liked the set.

 

Can you get up to Melbourne on May 3rd?

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/forum-member-meetings/326944-melbourne-australia-meetup-2-00pm-may.html

[jdsheepdog]

I tried to edit too late for the rules to let me, the incident was at a creek going over a cliff at Marulan Gorge, one of my favourite bush walking grounds from long ago.

 

Re Melbourne: I would love to, but we will be back in Hobart dealing with shipbuilding and with gathering intensity in May. I will be in Melbourne later (early June) for a weekend and would love to get together with anyone from there then if it can work.

 

Pics of the shipbuilding process will be on here in the not too distant future, largely thanks to Dee's gentle reminder that I should put something up.

 

By all means Melbourneites PM me re. timing