THIS fearless moorhen had no hesitation about defending her chicks when they were threatened by a potential predator.

Tom Potter

THIS fearless moorhen had no hesitation about defending her chicks when they were threatened by a potential predator.

The moment when the moorhen fought back to scare off a grass snake at the Minsmere bird reserve was captured by keen photographer Steve Plume.

Mr Plume, of Great Blakenham, is a regular visitor to Minsmere and often contributes his photographs to the pages of The Evening Star.

He said: “I try to get to the reserve once a month. It's a fantastic place to see wildlife of all varieties, including adders and grass snakes.”

The adult bird would have been in no danger from the non-venomous snake, but its young would have made it a good meal.

A number of black headed gulls had already been spooked by the snake and flew off to try to mob it - but the moorhen was clearly made of sterner stuff and faced it off head to head.

The snake soon spotted a feisty opponent and slunk off into the long grass and reeds.

Mr Plume said: “It's incredibly rare to see a mother moorhen force a snake to leave. I saw the snake coming across the water and heading towards a small island where the birds were. As soon as it got close, the gulls started mobbing it and then the moorhen went over for a peck.”

Grass snakes are quite happy in water, they are the most aquatic of all Britain's reptiles and will regularly be found afloat.

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