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Nina Gorenstein
West Lafayette, IN, USA
02/15/2023
03:49 pm

Equipment Details:

Nikon Coolpix P950

Post-processing Details:

cropped; combined

Image Details:

Successful fishing of a great blue heron (Ardea herodias). It was a warm, sunny and very windy day. After arriving, the heron stood in the position "face to wind", and the the long black feathers on its head are not seen on frames in the top row. Its position relative to the sun was such that its shadow was behind it, and a potential prey could not see it. It looks like it knows physics! After a short wait, it grabbed a fish with a sharp movement. Then it turned 180 degrees, and the blowing wind did not affected its manipulations with the fish (the middle and last rows). The long black feathers on its head were turned forward by the wind and are clearly seen on the pictures of the last row. Grey herons usually swallow their preys whole, head first. One can see how it managed to line up the fish along the beak. It took only 50 seconds!
with the strong wind

black plumes on head