2016 Anahuac - 01

After leaving High Island, we went to Anahuac Wildlife Refuge to see if anything was happening. It is always a bonus to capture something catching and eating something. I realize some of you may see this as offensive. I suggest you have never looked at yourself in the mirror very closely. Nature is a tough world and I enjoy seeing it in action. If you can't enjoy the meal, at least enjoy the beautiful colors of the heron. We turned a corner around a pond and saw this great blue heron catching a water snake. The heron was very focused on securing and eating his meal and did not mind us stopping to watch the whole event. From start to finish, I took just 84 photos in just under 4 minutes. I will share six of those photos and split this sequence into two e-mails to manage size. So, you know what will be sent tomorrow.

In this first shot, the heron had already moved to a patch of grass (and closer to us!) as opposed to the more open water where we first saw the action. The snake is much less likely to escape in the grass. In this shot, you see a bulge in the snake suggesting it had just eaten something itself. That meal may have been what alerted the heron to the snake. The heron has the snake's head in its beak but the snake is not dead at this point.

The heron would shake the snake violently to kill it. You see the water splash and very tight grip in this shot.

The heron has adjusted its grip in this shot and we get to see the full length of the snake. The snake appears to be dead at this point and the heron is maneuvering it into position to swallow it.

Thanks,

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