Photography Wild Delmarva on 08 Jul 2009 09:52 pm
life and death on the salt marsh
A Great Blue Heron carries a still living, nearly grown juvenile Clapper Rail tonight just at sunset. The heron landed and then killed the rail by choking it and squeezing the body in its strong bill. Then the heron spent almost ten minutes trying to figure out how to swallow the whole rail.
Photograph by Kevin Fleming
on 09 Jul 2009 at 7:51 pm 1.jakota said …
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t even know they would attempt something like that. I certainly never saw anything like it captured on film. You and Jay are excellent wildlife watchers along with photographers.
on 09 Jul 2009 at 8:22 pm 2.Derek said …
Amazing moment you’ve captured, Kevin! Great Blues are incredible predators, but I never would have imagined Clapper Rail on the menu! Thanks for sharing a unique encounter.
on 10 Jul 2009 at 5:25 am 3.Gregg said …
That’s an amazing flight shot by itself but combined with the combination of the capture of the Clapper Rail, this is outstanding. I didn’t ever think they would attempt that. I’ve seen them pick off Gophers but never a bird that big.
Great work.