This is the Catch
by Lyuba Filatova
Title
This is the Catch
Artist
Lyuba Filatova
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Great Blue Heron, America’s largest heron, is a master at catching fish. Their method is rather simple. Usually they stand motionless in shallow water. When a fish comes by, out goes the long neck and the fish is seized. The heron moves around slowly, but most often they just stand still and wait until a frog or a fish comes within reach.
These herons also have developed a unique way to catch fish using bait. Herons use both natural and artificial bait. Living creatures that they drop include flies, ants, dragonflies, spiders and earthworms. The herons have also tried dropping tiny objects in front of the fish that show up. They have tried dropping small seeds, bits of grass, short twigs, bits of styrofoam, or natural downy plant material. That is, they drop something on the water and the fish move in. Fish that respond will quite likely be eaten by the heron.
Heron feet are designed for standing on soft muddy or wet sand or soil, and their bill for spearing fairly hard-bodied fish, but they lack the tools for holding and tearing apart their prey. Instead, they swallow fish whole, first using their forward-facing eyes to determine which end of the fish is the head and which the tail. They always swallow the fish headfirst, so the fish will slide down their throat and esophagus smoothly. If a fish went down tail first, its spiny tail and rough body scales would scrape along this delicate tissue.
Herons also lack the equipment to carry fish back to the nest to feed their young, so they swallow their catch and bring it back to the nest in their own stomach. They regurgitate the food onto the nest floor for their young to eat.
Captured in Needham, Massachusetts
Feature:
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Uploaded
September 13th, 2018
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Viewed 408 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/16/2024 at 9:47 PM
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Comments (9)
Larry Kniskern
Congratulations, Lyuba – your predator and prey have been featured by the Go Take a Hike Photography Group! Feel free to add it to the 2022 Featured Images thread in the group discussion board for archive.
Gary F Richards
Magnificent fish capture, lighting, shading and artwork! F/L voted for this piece in the contest ANY MEDIUM WITH FISH
Gary F Richards
Such a spectacular composition, perfect timing, lighting, shading, colors and artwork! F/L …voted for this piece in the contest BIRDS WITH FISH
William Tasker
Great timing! Big fish it scored! Thank you for your wonderful and named submission to Wild Birds Of The World - A Nature Photography Group, where this image is now featured on the homepage. L/F
Lyuba Filatova replied:
William, thank you very much for LF and the feachure on Wild Birds of the World - a Nature Photography Group home page!
Don Columbus
Congratulations Lyuba, your work is Featured in "Coastal Water Birds-Shore Birds" I invite you to place it in the group's "2018 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!!
Lyuba Filatova replied:
Don, thanks a lot for the feature of my work in "Coastal Water Birds-Shore Birds" group!