Little Egret choking on a flatfish
It’s over 20 years since Little Egrets colonised South Devon. I’m on the banks of the River Teign and one has caught a flatfish.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-27-725x483.jpg)
The flatfish is too large to swallow. That brings the interest of a juvenile gull.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-31-725x483.jpg)
It’s a little breezy so the decorative feathers are clear to see.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-32-725x483.jpg)
It’s still struggling with that flatfish.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-33-725x483.jpg)
It’s time to manipulate it again to get it head first.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-37-725x483.jpg)
Then it’s down-the-hatch:
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-43-725x483.jpg)
No. It comes back up again.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-47-725x483.jpg)
It tries to shake it and pull it and drops it in the water and picks it up again. Several times.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-48-725x483.jpg)
Finally it flies, gripping the flatfish firmly.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-51-725x483.jpg)
I wonder how many times it’s going to gag on it before it finally swallows it or gives up.
![Little Egret - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/River-Teign-The-Hall-of-Einar-53-725x483.jpg)
I don’t want to think about it.