Once Again …

… here is our friend the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) from the Squaw Creek NWR, in northwest Missouri (this is the same heron I featured in yesterday’s post). This guy was an excellent fisherman, catching many more fish than not. I was surprised at the small size of the fish he was catching. In the hour or so that I watched and photographed him fishing, each of the fish was very small, maybe 2 inches in length.  So, considering the target size, I’d say he would qualify for the “Expert” category :o) . Here is one of many sequences I captured of a fish being caught:

In this first image, the heron has just snagged a fish and is beginning to withdraw it from the water:

Great Blue Heron catching a small fish

 

In the next image, the heron has the fish tightly contained, near the end of his beak:

Great Blue Heron with a fish

 

With a few, quick moves, the heron relocates the fish closer to his mouth:

Great Blue Heron with a fish

 

With a quick motion, the heron “throws” the fish “down the hatch”:

Great Blue Heron with a fish

 

“Yum, that was good!”

Great Blue Heron finishes a fish meal

 

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