He ate the whole thing....

traunerktraunerk Registered Users Posts: 513 Major grins
edited January 15, 2007 in Wildlife
Great blue herons will eat most anything (and I encourage others to add their captures of alternate meals to this thread) and this one tried three or four times to eat this critter (a muskrat? a huge rat? some other rodent?) before he finally succeeded. Taken near Delray Beach, Fl while on vacation.

Regards...Keith

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Beam me outta here!:winkKT

Comments

  • SkywatchSkywatch Registered Users Posts: 78 Big grins
    edited January 12, 2007
    Wow
    Holy Crap....Ive never seem them handle something that big before! You better watch the children!
  • dbaker1221dbaker1221 Registered Users Posts: 4,482 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2007
    good god!eek7.gif !!!!!!!!!! thanks. that was a great seriesclap.gif
    Dave
    **If I keep shooting, I'm bound to hit something**
    Dave
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited January 12, 2007
    Mmmm, muskrat.... :eat

    Great shots, Keith.

    -joel
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2007
    traunerk wrote:
    Great blue herons will eat most anything (and I encourage others to add their captures of alternate meals to this thread) and this one tried three or four times to eat this critter (a muskrat? a huge rat? some other rodent?) before he finally succeeded. Taken near Delray Beach, Fl while on vacation.

    Regards...Keith

    Good Heavens!! how do these birds not choke on the things they try to eat???
    I'm stunned the size of that critter to the size of the long slender neck on the bird just doesn't seem to match it's ability to swollow such a large object eek7.gif

    What an amazing sight that must have been to see happening, and you were lucky enough to capture it all clap.gifclap.gif hooray for you Keith :D
    ..... amazing ..... Skippy

    .
    .
    Skippy (Australia) - Moderator of "HOLY MACRO" and "OTHER COOL SHOTS"

    ALBUM http://ozzieskip.smugmug.com/

    :skippy Everyone has the right to be stupid, but some people just abuse the privilege :dgrin
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2007
    Excellent set of behavior shots. GBHs will go after anything they can swallow and it is amazing to see what they can swallow. :wow

    I wish I had some for my lawn to get rid of the squirrels.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • dallasdallas Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2007
    Wow....great series. thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif Could it be a small otter?
    William
    http://woofwoof.smugmug.com
  • traunerktraunerk Registered Users Posts: 513 Major grins
    edited January 14, 2007
    Thanks, Skippy and everyone....
    I'm pretty convinced it was a muskrat. Truly it was amazing to watch...

    regards...Keith
    Beam me outta here!:winkKT
  • raptorcaptorraptorcaptor Registered Users Posts: 3,968 Major grins
    edited January 14, 2007
    I've seen them swallow gophers, but not something as large as a muskrat!ne_nau.gif Nice series!clap.gif
    Glenn

    My website | NANPA Member
  • MaestroMaestro Registered Users Posts: 5,395 Major grins
    edited January 15, 2007
    Amazing and informative series. I never would have imagined that a great blue would eat a muskrat!
    Stephen
    www.capture-the-pixel.com

  • GaleGale Registered Users Posts: 1,052 Major grins
    edited January 15, 2007
    OMG they are such pigs:>)))
    Yup they eat anything.
    Totally amazing the SIZE of things they eat
    Great shots
    Thanks
    Best Regards
    Gale

    www.pbase.com/techwish
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited January 15, 2007
    Harryb wrote:
    Excellent set of behavior shots. GBHs will go after anything they can swallow and it is amazing to see what they can swallow. :wow

    I wish I had some for my lawn to get rid of the squirrels.
    that is funny a few years ago in Griffith Park. we had a GBH that spent his days eating squirrels almost did them all in . great capture I have seen them eat things that eek7.gifeek7.gifeek7.gif how did you doo that --again great set of shots thanks for posting
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
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