As you may have noticed on my recent Caspian Gull post, I couldn't help being distracted by a Little Egret which was Cormorant-watching, i.e. feeding on fish which were disturbed by a very pro-active fish predator - the Cormorant. It immediately transported me back to Portugal, where I filmed almost exactly the same behaviour. Except that the pro-active predator was an Otter! Here are 3 pieces of vid, one of which captures the moment when the Egret pounces quite nicely. At first, I was just happy to see an otter in broad daylight, as the Axe valley ones have become
very nocturnal. I think this shows us one of the reasons why Little Egrets have spread and increased. Their almost Corvid-like cunning suggests intelligence. I wonder if any studies have been done into Egret intelligence? They may not be as smart as crows but I reckon they're more opportunistic than some heron species. Anyway, enjoy the otter/egret 'symbiosis' ( well, the Egret's keeping watch for danger, isn't it? )!
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