With remarkable courage, the mother duck flew up to take on the attacker at least five times her size, flapping around its dagger-like beak in an attempt to force it to let go of her offspring.
The extraordinary sequence of photographs, taken in Bray Harbour in County Wicklow, Ireland, shows how the heron swooped down and snatched the duckling as its mother battled in vain to save it.
But despite the mother's best efforts, the heron made off with its prey and devoured it with a single gulp in front of her eyes.
Although usually seen eating fish, herons have a varied diet, including amphibians, molluscs and small rodents. Herons have been named among the most intelligent of birds, mainly because of its flexibility and adaptability to acquire food.
With a wingspan of 70 to 80in, herons appear terrifying to smaller birds and animals when flying with its characteristic slow wing beat.
This mother duck put up a brave fight, but she stood little chance when a heron took a fancy to one of her ducklings.
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