The Lincolnshire Bird Club

At around 6:30pm yesterday, during the weekly gathering of GY area birders, a great skua flew in over the North Cotes sandflats and attacked a flying little egret, eventually driving it to ground. Unfortunately the birds landed behind a low sand ridge but after a partially obscured tussle all was quiet and neither bird flew off - so I guess the egret was terminally 'bonxied' and became supper. Not sure if little egret is on the long list of species previously recorded as bonxie prey.
Ian Shepherd, with Chris Atkin, Tony Housman and Dave Wright (rather sparsely attended 'gathering' this week as some regulars are apparently still recovering from a birding 'holiday' in eastern Turkey - CA was present, enjoying the fine Lincs air and bracing weather and feeling completely at ease about the total lack of flocks of rosy starlings, but tells me he's glad of the lie-ins now he's back at work (for the government!!)

I find it quite remarkable that a Bonxie would attack a Little Egret!
Not sure about any differences in bodyweight but I would have thought that
the long bill on the Egret might have been a deterrent.

Roy

saw a bonxi take out a greater black back without much trouble, me thinks they will have a go at anything if its hungry enough,

terry whalin

surprising how small and frail the egret appeared, Roy, despite that dagger bill. BWP lists grey heron as recorded bonxie food! I did see a great black-back attack a little egret, on the ground,at Pyewipe a few years back, but on that occasion the egret managed to escape.