Crab was on the menu this morning at Surfside during out visit to the saltmarsh along the Intracoastal Waterway. This bird probably hasn’t been out of the nest for more than a couple of weeks but it seems to have already mastered the art of catching and eating these hard-shelled critters. We watched as the heron snatched the crab from the water and carried it over to the dry land where an escape was less likely. Within seconds the heron had knocked the claws and legs off, crushed the carapace and then down the hatch. As a little bonus I managed to catch the moment when the nictitating membrane (which protects the eye while still allowing the bird to see) was totally covering the eye as the meal was swallowed. As a reminder of how tough life is in the wild by the time this bird had its meal eaten three others showed up to try to get a piece for themselves.

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Nyctanassa violacea

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