Heron vs Fish

Click photos to enlarge.



I was standing by the beaver pond  and I saw a heron flying across toward 
the other side. I managed to get a shot just as it landed. A minute later
two deer - a doe and a fawn - came along. They all stood there on the bank. 
(the fawn is not in the photo) It looked kind of awkward, like when you 
run into your ex- unexpectedly at a cocktail party. 

I'm pretty sure I heard the heron say, "Guys, I'm kind of in the middle of 
something here…" and the deer moved on. 

The heron was clearly watching something in the water. Then it started to 
move along the bank. Stealthily, deliberately, purposefully. There was 
something down there and the heron did not take its eyes off it, even as 
it stepped over and around obstacles along the bank. 

Then it went behind this pile of debris. I could hardly see it but I knew 
what was about to happen. 

The heron ducked down and came up with a decent-sized bluegill in its
mouth. It flipped the fish around and swallowed it in one go.

The only thing missing was narration by Marlin Perkins. "… if only the 
bluegill had a policy with Mutual of Omaha, at least its family would be
taken care of …"