A Great Blue Hereon Flies Off with a Pocket Gopher in its Beak.
- Thread starter cr_wildlife
- Start date
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- Post score: 16
- #27
Thank you very much!
- Post score: 1
- #28
I've witnessed them catching and eating rats and rabbits before, so I'm not surprised that they'd capture and eat gophers.
Great capture!
Great capture!
- Post score: 16
- #29
Thank you very much! Fortunately, the field is large, and the bird is so tall that one does not have to get very low to get the background!
- Post score: 16
- #30
Thank you so much!
jacquesgt
Well-known member
Amazing pose on both the heron and the gopher. Dangling by its paw with those massive teeth facing the camera. Your patience really paid off!
Sometimes the herons will gulp the gophers down immediately, other times they'll fly to a nearby pond/lagoon to dunk the gopher a few times before swallowing it. I've seen them do that at Crissy Field and at Point Reyes. I'm not sure if the point is to drown the gopher or to help lubricate it a little.
Sometimes the herons will gulp the gophers down immediately, other times they'll fly to a nearby pond/lagoon to dunk the gopher a few times before swallowing it. I've seen them do that at Crissy Field and at Point Reyes. I'm not sure if the point is to drown the gopher or to help lubricate it a little.
- Post score: 16
- #32
Thanks so much, Jacques! I don’t get to Crissy Field often. First time zI saw this there, s o interesting that it is not a rare occurrence.
Excellent capture; they're such great hunters! Beautiful shot.
- Post score: 16
- #34
Thank you very much!