WARNING: This encounter did not turn out well for the frog. This past Saturday I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the shallow water at the edge of a beaver pond at my favorite marshland. I watched and waited, knowing full well that a heron’s patience when fishing generally exceeds my own.
Suddenly the heron thrust its bill into the water with such force that it had to extend its wings for stability. Surely, I thought, the heron had just caught a massive fish. When I caught a glimpse of the catch, however, I realized that it was not a fish—it was a frog. The heron’s grip on the frog looked to be a little problematic, for the heron had snagged the frog by its legs.
Now I realize that in some cultures, frog legs are considered to be a delicacy, but I was pretty confident that the heron was not going to settle for just the legs. The challenge for the heron was to reposition the frog without losing it. One added complication was that the frog appeared to be struggling, trying desperately to extricate itself from the heron’s tight grip.
Moving to the edge of the pond, the heron bent down and pinned the frog against the ground as it grasped the frog around its upper torso. Only then did the heron return to its original upright position, knowing that the frog’s fate was now sealed. With small movements of its head, the heron slowly repositioned the frog until it was in a heads-first position.
All of the sudden, the heron tilted its head back and swallowed and the frog was gone so quickly that I was unable to capture its last moment.
Apparently the frog was just an appetizer, for I saw the heron catch a fish a short time later, but that may be the subject of a future post.
The initial strike
Hanging by the legs
Grabbing the torso
The beginning of the end
Almost in position
Ready for a big gulp
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
That was intense. And good on you for getting those captures. I think I’d miss the shot or the feast, fumbling with the camera if I were out there. Thank you for sharing. x
The circle of life…. Nice Captures – no pun intended! M 🙂
Impressive.
That was a great series! Except for the frog of course. This time your patience won.
Hmmmmm Talk about getting a frog in your throat.. 🙂
Excellent shots..
I’m glad you found my story to be ribbeting, Ed. It was almost unfrogettable. 🙂
Oh dear. I have mixed feelings about herons…they’re amazing and beautiful but they will raid my pond and eat my lovely fishes given half a chance 😕
Great series Mike! I wonder whether the heron ever swallows something too big. I once witnessed a Great Cormorant with such a large fish stuck half way down its throat it would not get down. The bird was making huge contortions gasping for air!
What a great sequence you’ve captured! And without branches or twigs in the way!
Thanks, Sue. I was looking across a beaver pond and was standing on a boardwalk when I took the shots. That’s how I managed to avoid the branches and other obstructions that plague us all.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel once showed a three picture series of a blue heron catching a rat and swallowing it. If I can find the picture in my apartment I’ll then be able to find it online (I wrote the date on the pic) and post it here.
A rat? Yikes. I guess if a heron is hungry enough, it’ll eat whatever prey it can catch.
Occasionally I see one of them prowling along the river bank where the ground squirrels roam.
Great shots! I’ve seen plenty of photos of heron catching fish but this is the first with a frog. Everything gets eaten.
I had previously seen a Green Heron catch a frog, but this was a first for me with a Great Blue Heron. I actually didn’t realize that it was a frog until I was reviewing my photos on my computer. When I captured the sequence, I assumed it was a small fish.
Fantastic series, Michael. That’s a really big frog, nice catch for both of you. 🙂
Thanks, Jet. It was pretty exciting to see, except for the frog.
Excellent shots! The poor frog should have put up a fight, it just GAVE UP so easily. It should have held the Heron’s throat in a NEVER SAY DIE spirit.
Obuya