Thursday, May 13, 2010

Big Catch!

Camera in hand, eyes focused upward to the blossoming tree canopy, I stroll quietly in search of colorful warblers and other migrating birds. I wander along a newly laid wood mulch trail that borders North Pond, a body of water teeming with a variety of fish, flora and fauna. My concentration is interrupted by the sound of flapping wings followed by a hushed thunk. I follow the disturbance to a sizable fallen tree that arcs out over the resplendent pond. There, atop the thick, mossy, horizontal trunk stands a beautifully hued Green Heron with quite a mouthful. Upon closer inspection, I see the Green Heron is quite the skilled fisherman. A large, glistening Bluegill is the unfortunate meal today.

I have observed several Green Herons before and their usual appearance is one of a multicolored football, perched on a tree limb, skulking stance, ready to strike. Much like the photo below.


Today, my first view was this ...


What to do next with this rather large catch ...


Perhaps a few steps will help send the fish to the depths ...


A quick twist will surely assist ...


Down the gullet with this mullet!


A long stretch of the neck will benefit a speck ...


A satisfying lick of the beak, end to an admirable technique


Finishing up with a long slurp ... or was that a burp?

14 comments:

BirdingMaine said...

You sure know how to make a photographer drool! Exquisite photos!!

Kerri Farley said...

Absolutely FABULOUS post!! WOW ~~ never seen anything like this! So glad you started blogging :)

Unknown said...

Look at that belly in the last photo. You can tell where the fish is :D!
Totally wonderful shots!
I've not seen a Green Heron and never seen a Heron eat a fish either.
Lucky you.
Like Main Birder said *drool* :)
Btw. love your captions too :D

Dan Huber said...

wonderful set of photos and commentary :)
Love it

dan

Angad Achappa said...

WOW..what an awesome series of shots!!
Regards,
Angad

Unknown said...

Emily Dickenson or Robert Frost, your skills to them are surely lost. Nonetheless your story all the while has given me reasons to spread a smile. Added to this feature your abilities as a photog creature, it is no wonder why your limit is the sky.

Another job well done!

Patricia/Trisketta said...

Julie, You have captured an AMAZING series here. I can't tell you how much I love it--tells a story. You do what I love to do--put words in their beaks. Thank you :)

Birding is Fun! said...

Wow! What a great series of quality photos capturing such a cool moment. Awesome!

Crafty Green Poet said...

these are stunning photos! What a handsome bird and how well you've caught those moments!

I love your other recent posts too, lots of spectacular photos of beautiful birds!

Unknown said...

A great set Julie
Just great...
Congrats

Anonymous said...

Julie, what a beautiful post!! Your photos are absolutely stunning!! I love your compositions. Cathy

Debbie Miller @HooootOwl said...

Wow! Fabulous Series! And awesome sight to partake. You captured it so beautifully.

Trish said...

It's times like this that words fail. I'm not even going to try to go there. Your photos say it all. THANK YOU FOR THIS.

Anonymous said...

Julie,
Impressive shooting. what else can I say?