Catfish Caught
April 28th, 2022
A great blue heron caught a small fish just as I was setting up. I had a fleeting moment of disappointment because I wasn’t ready. Good to remember at moments like this that these birds typically catch multiple small fish in a single day so I proceeded with the hope for more of that.
The bird wandered around for an hour at a seemingly random pattern. Each time the bird caught another fish, there was always something between myself and the bird. Sometimes dense green grass. Other times the bird would be turned away or even worse a tree would be in the way.
At exactly the moment I figured I should look for something else to photograph, the bird caught a catfish. Wow and the bird was out in the open. Finally a reward for the wait. It has been several years since the last time I saw the great blue catching a fish. I was glad I had taken my tele extender off because the ability to choose between 100-500mm was very helpful here.
The bird would drop the fish on the ground, peck it and pick it up again. The fish kept struggling and trying to get away. Eventually the struggle was over and the bird swallowed the fish whole.
