Rain was gently falling as I observed a Great Blue Heron at Huntley Meadows Park, a marshland in Alexandria, VA. I was surprised to see how the open water area had shrunk to just a small pool over the past couple of months, presumably because of the lack of rain.
Nonetheless, there was a heron in the middle of that pool, seemingly intent on catching a fish. I was not at all convinced that there were any fish in such a small body of water, but the heron soon proved me wrong. He extended his neck and made a strike into the water and came up with a fish. As he brought the fish out of the water, he opened his wings widely (as the second photo shows), perhaps to counterbalance the weight of the fish. The heron’s wingspan was definitely impressive. He kept his wings partially extended as he moved the fish around in his mouth (as you can see in the first photo) and then swallowed the fish whole.
My photos are not technically great, but they did capture the moment pretty well. I am thankful that I once again had the privilege to watch such a beautiful creature in action.
Great Blue Heron positions fish prior to swallowing it
Great Blue Heron opens his wings as he pulls a fish out of the water
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
A great catch, Mike! The first one is especially nice–the heron’s eye, the ripples, the splash droplets–wonderful. With only a little imagination I can see the tragic surprise in the eyes of the fish. More, please!
Thanks. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I’ll keep trying for shots like this and you will be among the first to know if/when I succeed.
Nice shots! That’s something you don’t see that often.
You’re right, though I am learning more about heron’s habits and hope to increase the chances of capturing a similar moment in the future.
It’s great to catch the action like that. The fish seems as big as the bird’s neck!
I am increasingly being drawn to looking to take action photos. In the case of the herons that I have been photographing recently, it’s nice to photograph them as they stand motionlessly in the water, waiting to strike. There is something special, though, about trying to capture the moment when they actually catch a fish or when they take off from the water. I may be dooming myself to unending frustration by going for action shots, but when things click there is such a sense of accomplishment. As for the fish, I’ve now seen herons swallow fish whole three times. Each time–and especially this time–I was amazed when the heron finally had the fish in position, tilted his head back, and the fish slid down his throat. I honestly don’t know how they do it.
I think you just made your life a lot more complicated!