Dinosaur

We stopped near Whipsnade to look for birds of prey. We didn't manage to see any, but I was very taken with this Emu, a resident of the Wild Animal Park. It came over to the fence to see me; there was a ten-foot chain-link fence between the two of us, which I was glad of when I looked at its powerful beak and feet.

I certainly wouldn't want to meet one down a dark alleyway (it was at least as tall as me), and yes, it's a captive bird, but it was fascinating to watch. A Robin hopped about a few metres away and it was strange to consider that the Emu really was a bird and not an improbable cross between a sheep and a dinosaur!

When I startled it, it made a noise like a rumbling stomach.

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM through chain-link fence