Stopped by the Heron Rookery on the way home from looking for butterflies today and boy, did we get lucky again!
I had just focused on this heron sitting on this snag.....never seen one land there before. When it suddenly jumped in the water.....
....and came up with a snake! ( It has been suggested this is an eel. Could be!)
It was putting up a battle and the heron started trying to get to a small bit of vegetation where it could stand and fight better.....Look at the concentration in those eyes!
It got on this little "island" of vegetation. The water is really high right now from recent rains, so the heron was in a much deeper area than usual.
He fought with it for quite a while.
The snake would wrap around his beak like in this shot.
He would shake it around and unwind it.
Wrapped again.
He finally got it under control and .....
....swallowed it down. His neck looks pretty bulging right here!
I had just focused on this heron sitting on this snag.....never seen one land there before. When it suddenly jumped in the water.....
....and came up with a snake! ( It has been suggested this is an eel. Could be!)
It was putting up a battle and the heron started trying to get to a small bit of vegetation where it could stand and fight better.....Look at the concentration in those eyes!
It got on this little "island" of vegetation. The water is really high right now from recent rains, so the heron was in a much deeper area than usual.
He fought with it for quite a while.
The snake would wrap around his beak like in this shot.
He would shake it around and unwind it.
Wrapped again.
He finally got it under control and .....
....swallowed it down. His neck looks pretty bulging right here!I wonder which nest of babies is going to have snake for dinner tonight?
We could see a chick's head in the top nest.....
......3 good sized chicks in this one!
The same 3 in the top nest and a mother bending over a little one in the nest in the open area. I'm sure there are more, but they are hard to see right now.
We could see a chick's head in the top nest.....
......3 good sized chicks in this one!
The same 3 in the top nest and a mother bending over a little one in the nest in the open area. I'm sure there are more, but they are hard to see right now.At least someone is eating well tonight.....if you happen to like snake!
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17 comments:
You surely are in Gods grace to get those photos. wonderful; it seems we are in competition with the young heron photos. I never use the word luck, if its meant for us to see its in gods grace and seeing nature in all its grandeur and misery is not like looking at photos. I certainly feel blessed that I see all this in the latter days of my life.
I blog to bless those people who do not get a chance to see what I see and the reason I put so many photos on my blogs. I was once stuck in A wheelchair so I know about Gods grace, seeing your blog certainly blessed me today and am sure it will bless others.
Oh my goodness Mary, what an absolutely fantastic series!! WOW!! You have captured this so brilliantly too. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ps Pause for thought,
We us heron snappers need to make our own word, HERONRY a place of heron nests.
Nursery is out of the question, that's taken with us humans place of giving birth and for plants, do not know where the connection there is, maybe from the Latin words,
rookery is for the Corvus family
not sure what seagulls nest are called not seagulry.
I LOVED these! LOVED LOVED LOVED them!!!
A great post - wonderful pictures of the heron and the snake, and the babies . . . and a great story to go along with it.
Wow! This is an amazing series of pictures.It is great when we find ourselves in the right place at the right time.I have enjoyed this little adventure.
Blessings,Ruth
Such an exciting capture! Didn't realize Herons ate snakes - your Heron was definitely not going to give up that meal! Wonderful photos!
WOW - You hit the JACKPOT! What a fabulous series!
Tony: I usually try to remember not to refer to "luck"...I agree that it is blessings rather than misc. luck. God is very good and I feel blessed everytime I see something like this. I looked it up one day because I see them called both "heronry" and "rookery"....I like rookery better because I can spell it and pronounce it :-) Rookery can be used for any community of this sort...even penguins or seals.
Thanks everyone! It was one of those "in the right place at the right time" moments. Mike enjoyed it more than I did because he was looking through binoculars instead of the camera. I have to wait to enjoy these things when I see them on the computer.
Mary amazing photos!! I am not a snake lover by any means but, you had me captivated!!! Those little ones are so cute just waiting to have lunch!! ""See it only hear on Mary's blog!! :> :> ""
What fabulous photos, Mary! Must say, I'm glad I'm not a heron baby. :)
Great set of pics Mary, Heron with an eel in its beak if only you where that bit closer (you should have waded in :)) nice post, Mike.
Mike: Is it an eel? I didn't know there were freshwater eels and just thought it was a snake. As for wading in...I don't think so.
You were certainly in the right spot at the right time for this adventure - amazing captures, Mary!
Fabulous shots Mary - what a stroke of luck to be there at just the right time and focussing with your camera. I love to see herons even though our pond fish were taken by one a few years ago! A x
Mary: What a wonderful capture of the snake battle. You were in the right place for certain.
You certainly were at the right place at the right time. Fantastic shots Mary. Once in a lifetime I'd say!
B.
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