"Down the Hatch" with a Great Egret

I feel fortunate to live in a nice neighborhood with lots of trees and a small pond just beyond my backyard.

The environment, plus my bevy of bird feeders, baths and houses, is very hospitable to our feathered friends.



Case in point, two days ago I came home from work and from my driveway I see this Great Egret near the edge of the pond with what I could tell right away is a fish in its beak.

I happened to take my camera, a Canon SX 50 "super zoom" model, to work that day, so I only had to open my car trunk to get it.

Quickly and quietly I moved closer to the big bird, while still maintaining distance so I wouldn't scare it away before any photos were taken.

The fish is a crappie or brim, I suspect.  There are fish in the small golf course pond. I have caught these types of fish, plus bass, in the pond.

The Egret dropped the fish a couple times as I was watching and photographing.

Could it really swallow the fish in its entirety down its narrow throat?

Yes it could and did!

There it is, down the hatch, the poor fish, likely still alive, is now part of what must be a slow digestive process for the big bird.

No one ever said nature is always a pretty thing to see!