Great blue herons are excellent fishers and most of the times they opt to spear their prey with that razor sharp beak. This one decided to dive in headfirst and grab its prey. I’m not sure how it managed to do this but it did. This is a great example of going all in! Sometimes you just have to go for it. Do you think the heron will swallow this catfish whole? I think we all know the answer but I’ll post a follow up video tomorrow.
original sound - Mark Smith
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Sometimes the fish are so large even the eagles look at them in amazement.
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·19h ago I still remember watching this through my lens. A swift outgoing tide was keeping the fish far out in the Atlantic, and the Ospreys were doing well grabbing fish far out at sea, but this one locked onto something far too large and was quickly attacked by an entire group of hungry pelicans. The Osprey sat on the surface with its wings held wide and did its best to defend itself against the attackers, and when the wave rose up and blocked my view, it felt like time stopped. I remember holding my breath and hoping for the best for the Osprey, and when the wave subsided, I felt the breath enter my lungs as the Osprey flew away empty taloned.
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·1d ago The unbelievable amount of control these birds have is simply mind-blowing. The 90-degree bank not only shows just how much this bird is in control but also gives us a great look at how each feather helps steer the bird right towards a large whirlpool that has pushed a fish to the surface. Incredible.
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·2d ago I love it when they come in with what we jokingly refer to as the “Mach 5 Dive.” So fast and chaotic looking but could land on a dime.
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·4d ago With a howling wind pushing in from the east, this Osprey uses the strength of the oncoming wind to practically catapult it out of the ocean depths. Without the wind, they just wouldn’t be able to easily wrestle a large Atlantic Menhaden from the surf like this, and because the bird doesn’t have a “good grip,” the wind becomes even more helpful, allowing the Osprey to kind of hover in place while it adjusts its cargo.
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·5d ago This is a great example of something that has to be seen to be believed, and I’m not even talking about the eagles’ amazing aerodynamic abilities. I’m referring to chaotic tidal rapids that cause huge vortexes of water to push fish to the surface. You can clearly see one starting right when the eagle plucks the fish from the surface. The poor fish was rushed to the surface at such a velocity that the air and gases inside it expanded filling it like a balloon. Glad I’m not a fish.
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·6d ago Have you ever wondered what happens when a young, inexperienced brown pelican tries to steal a catfish from a pair of cormorants? If not, then this should be on your list of questions for 2025! This young pelican quickly learns that saltwater catfish species are pokey! Their dorsal and pectoral fins are large, bony spines packed with a mild venom and nasty bacteria that’s sure to cause unsuspecting problems. The cormorants know how to break the spines, but the pelican not so much.
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·1-3Have you ever seen a bird that makes flying seem so easy? This bird is just gliding along the surface of the water as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. The only time it flaps its wings is when it needs a little extra lift to get over a small incoming wave. I don’t think I’ll ever not be completely amazed at this bird’s unique hunting technique. It uses its lower beak to slice through the water, hoping it will literally crash into a fish. This doesn’t seem like an effective way to catch fish, but it actually is, and when the bird isn’t successful, it just keeps skimming until it is.
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·2024-12-30With a wingspan of up to 8 feet (1.5 meters), eagles have no problems ruling the skies, and when they aren’t busy soaring, wreaking havoc, or sitting on a branch, they enjoy a nice, healthy in-flight meal, and no hands means they have to swallow it whole without missing a single wingbeat. Amazing birds!
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·2024-12-29As soon as this osprey hit the water, it was surrounded by a large group of gnarly, scurvy-laden pelican pirates who wanted to do nothing more than steal whatever the osprey surfaced with. The osprey knew it was outnumbered, so it dropped its catch before it even came out of the water, but it still had a wall of pelicans blocking its path. Not a problem for the Osprey. With no food in tow, one snarky pelican snapped its pouch in disapproval as the osprey made its getaway. I think it was going for a tail feather.
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·2024-12-27Floating on a cushion of air. The aerodynamics and physics at work when a pelican coasts right along the surface of the water are simply amazing. They are literally forcing air down to the surface with their wings and the pressure of the air isn’t great enough to break the surface of the water so it gets pushed back up giving the pelican lift. Magic!!
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·2024-12-26Tropical Santa, Santa’s equator-flying doppelgänger, has no need for a sack. It doesn’t go with his flip-flops, tank top, and board shorts. Instead, he uses an old, large brown pelican to carry all the presents in its pouch. Pelicans who aspire to be Santa’s future present-wielding helper can often be seen grabbing anything to see if they can stuff it in their pouch, and because of this, many pelicans are now on the naughty list. Merry Christmas, everyone.
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·2024-12-25One minute you are swimming in the current of the shore break and the next minute you get carried away by a Black Skimmer. I often wonder if the fish is aware of the bird or is the bird an extra dimensional creature? What do you think?
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·2024-12-24It’s a rough life out there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a feral cat chasing a ghost crab down the beach or a ghost crab carrying a young hatchling sea turtle away. The hardest thing about being a wildlife photographer is to not interfere and let whatever battle is playing out before your lens unfold on its own. In this instance, the crab’s hole in the sand was too small for the turtle to fit, and it had to let the turtle go. The crab has just as much right to eat as the turtle does to survive. It’s not always pretty out there, and that’s okay too.
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·2024-12-23The feral cats of Thailand are resilient and full of imaginable stories where all 9 lives are definitely lived. Around every twisty footpath, a new character emerges, revealing a curious plot full of whiskers, claws, and devious behavior. Tattooed ears and piercing orange eyes are the norm for these street-smart animals. This cutie spent its morning combing the beach for a new play thing. It paused, cocked its head, and started digging in the sand. I assumed the tan-colored beach was the world’s largest litter box, but this clever feline heard something under that coarse sand. To my surprise, it suddenly bolted up and ran full speed down the beach. It had unearthed a ghost crab and pursued it like a lion in the Mara. I sat in the sand, laughing as the game of cat and mouse played out in front of me on the one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. I quickly fell in love with these wild, unpredictable, but loving animals, and a new type of photography made itself known to me: Island Cat Street photography!! So much fun.
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·2024-12-22