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You need the right angle

HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
edited February 19, 2008 in Wildlife
Hi Y'all,

A sequence of an anhinga that I captured during MI V

I came upon this lucky anhinga
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Now the problem with catching such a large fish comes with the swallowing part.
254377272_xEWzf-XL.jpg

254377275_zwUPC-XL.jpg

The first try being unsuccessful the anhinga puts down the fish and then starts to pick it up for its second try
254377284_U7jdM-XL.jpg

second try
254377290_rJTTp-XL.jpg

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Now that's the right angle
254377298_gSviy-XL.jpg

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you can see the fish is now down to the lower portion of the anhinga's neck
254377308_hDA6K-XL.jpg
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!"
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    OsirisPhotoOsirisPhoto Registered Users Posts: 367 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Great images.

    Would that bird normally go for such a large fish? He looks almost like he's having second thoughts in the last image :D
    Stuart Walker Photography
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Hyperbaric wrote:
    Great images.

    Would that bird normally go for such a large fish? He looks almost like he's having second thoughts in the last image :D

    Thanks and yes they will go for any fish they can catch. I've seen them with even larger catches. The only time I've seen a bird catch something they couldn't get down was when a grebe (our smallest duck)caught a frog.
    241533798_zxcL8-XL.jpg
    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!"
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    cmasoncmason Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    # 6 is outstanding! Looks like you were very lucky with your angle as well.
    Photos
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    DJ-S1DJ-S1 Registered Users Posts: 2,303 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Good lord! eek7.gif Great series Harry, I've been showing it around the office here. Amazing they can get something that size!
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    BCFBCF Registered Users Posts: 8 Beginner grinner
    edited February 14, 2008
    Great shots! I've seen common mergansers swallow fish bigger than their heads. They spend a lot of time maneuvering the fish so it goes down head first.
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    Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Hmmm. Makes me think of the Watergate ratter's nickname. LL had the same monicker. headscratch.gifD

    Very cool series, Harry. thumb.gif
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    spechtalspechtal Registered Users Posts: 344 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Those are amazing photos Harry. It is amazing to see how small his head looks after he's downed the fish.
    Angela
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    GiphsubGiphsub Registered Users Posts: 2,662 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    eek7.gif Wow! Great set
    Harry clap.gif Awesome captures. I love the red eye!
    Mike Helbig

    http://www.michaelhelbigphotography.com
    http://www.thewildpig.blogspot.com
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    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    Very nice Harry thumb.gif

    Looks like you were pretty close!
    Birds
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    Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    :yikes :yikes

    Do you think his mates know the heimlich maneuver?

    Great stuff, Harry.

    ann

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    jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,006 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    always suprised at how they get them down Only once with a peli .it was the only one that did not get it down eek7.gif great set Harry look like you folks had a great time againn thumb.gif
    Jeff W

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

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    kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited February 14, 2008
    Unbelievable. I'm feeling a little choked up just looking at those. eek7.gif

    Great set, Harry. bowdown.gif

    -joel
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
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    jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    friggin awesome Harryclap.gif
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


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    kriyababajikriyababaji Registered Users Posts: 295 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    I wouldn't want to see this guys bill at the sushi bar!! Wow, a hog with wings.

    Nice set of captures.

    Shane
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    gluwatergluwater Registered Users Posts: 3,599 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2008
    I was watching all trip for something like this Harry and never saw it. I guess I'll have to come back down next year and try again. Great series.
    Nick
    SmugMug Technical Account Manager
    Travel = good. Woo, shooting!
    nickwphoto
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    cmason wrote:
    # 6 is outstanding! Looks like you were very lucky with your angle as well.

    Thanks and I did ahve to change my angle from the first shot. You can see that from my original position there's no color in the anhinga's eye.
    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!"
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    DJ-S1 wrote:
    Good lord! eek7.gif Great series Harry, I've been showing it around the office here. Amazing they can get something that size!

    Thanks DJ, watching these guys swallow their catch and can be a very interesting sight.
    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!"
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    BCF wrote:
    Great shots! I've seen common mergansers swallow fish bigger than their heads. They spend a lot of time maneuvering the fish so it goes down head first.

    Thanks Bjorn. :wwave
    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!"
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    Ric Grupe wrote:
    Hmmm. Makes me think of the Watergate ratter's nickname. LL had the same monicker. headscratch.gifD

    Very cool series, Harry. thumb.gif

    Love the way you think and make connections no one else would come up with.

    Thanks Ric.
    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!"
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    BBiggsBBiggs Registered Users Posts: 688 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    These are great Harry! clap.gifthumb.gif
    Brenton
    http://www.alluringnatureimages.com/
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    MooreDrivenMooreDriven Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    As I'm scrolling down I keep thinking, is he actually going to be able to get that fish down? Then half way through he spits it out. That's what I thought. Then, in the last shot, the eye's and expression look as if he regrets swallowing such a big fish. It's as if he's saying, "oh damn, why did I do that!".

    Very nice series Harry.

    Dale
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2008
    spechtal wrote:
    Those are amazing photos Harry. It is amazing to see how small his head looks after he's downed the fish.

    Thank you Angela. Someone informe dthat the fish he was chowing on was a Brown Hoplo(armored catfish). It an exotic species, first introduced (some dumbell let it loose) to our waters in 1995.
    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!"
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2008
    Giphsub wrote:
    eek7.gif Wow! Great set
    Harry clap.gif Awesome captures. I love the red eye!

    Thanks Mike, the red eye does make the shot for me.
    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!"
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    DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2008
    Amazing series
    You were in the right place at the right time. No wonder you like going and studying these birds so much! How much time passed from first to last in the series?

    And -- What? No sea gulls to take the catch away? Laughing.gif
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    Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2008
    You always pop in at dinner time headscratch.gif
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2008
    Dee wrote:
    You were in the right place at the right time. No wonder you like going and studying these birds so much! How much time passed from first to last in the series?

    And -- What? No sea gulls to take the catch away? Laughing.gif

    Hey Dee,

    The first shot was at 10:33:54:1 AM and the last shot in the sequence was at 10:36:06:3 AM. The total time was about 2 minutes 12 seconds.

    Sea gulls can get much easier pickings at the beach.
    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!"
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    raptorcaptorraptorcaptor Registered Users Posts: 3,968 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2008
    Great set Harry!
    Glenn

    My website | NANPA Member
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    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2008
    BigAl wrote:
    Very nice Harry thumb.gif

    Looks like you were pretty close!

    Thanks Al, when the bird is as busy as that anhinga was you can get pretty close to them ( a few yards in this case).
    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!"
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    atomicjadeatomicjade Registered Users Posts: 69 Big grins
    edited February 17, 2008
    Nice shots! I've never seen a bird eat something so large in comparison to itself, interesting thing is I have a picture of the same kind of fish that my nephew caught... it doesn't look very appetizing, I remember most of it's body was covered in hard scalelike armour!

    Picture1191.jpg

    Well duh.. if I actually READ the entire post I'd see that you already knew about the fish!
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    dbaker1221dbaker1221 Registered Users Posts: 4,482 Major grins
    edited February 17, 2008
    excellent series Harry:ivar

    I've seen a few teenagers eat the same wayrolleyes1.gif
    **If I keep shooting, I'm bound to hit something**
    Dave
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