Great Blue Heron plunges its head into Nisqually Estuary
while hunting for lugworms
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Olympia, WA
February 4, 2013
Lugworms live in U-shaped tubes beneath the mud of the Nisqually Delta. Lugworms leave castings of mud that has passed through their guts which are visible on the muddy surface. My friend and I watched this Heron for over an hour as it ate at least a dozen of the worms, which can be up to 7.75 inches in length.
One fascinating lugworm fact - the lifespan of a lugworm is estimated to be 5-6 years!
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Great Blue Heron with lugworm
Nisqually Refuge |
