GREEDY GREEN HERON & A FACEFUL OF FISH
The Green Heron Butorides virescens is one of 6 heron species found on Abaco. I wrote a detailed post about them last summer HERE, with some wonderful Abaco images (none taken by me…). Since then, I got in touch with Binkie van Es, who had photographed the increasingly rare Bahama Oriole on Andros. Small areas of the island are the last remaining habitat of a lovely bird that until recently was one of Abaco’s prized endemics. You can see some excellent pictures of them HERE (none mine either!) and read the sad story of their population decline towards extinction.
Binkie kindly gave use permission for some of his other photos. I especially like this sequence of a green heron getting more than he bargained for in his choice of lunch. In the end greed overcomes a formidably large snack, but it’s a hard one to swallow…
I caught me a handsome fish to take to my dining area
Think this ain’t going to be easy? Just you watch!
See? I just sort of slurp it in like… so. Practice makes perfect.
Busy… can’t really talk right now
Nmmpphh Grfffffff Mmpphphphph Rmmmmmmmph!
Ulppppp! 
No Green Heron was harmed in the photographing of this sequence. Sadly I can’t say the same for the fish, which despite its size had met its match…
Credits: All photos Binkie van Es, with thanks
ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO 
Pingback: Green heron in the USA | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Rare birds in Cornwall, video | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Green heron in New York, video | Dear Kitty. Some blog
I certainly learn something new every day I visit your blog. I just wish I knew the trick of eating such a huge portion and not gaining any weight. The before and after photos look rather similar!
LikeLike
It’s a great trick if you can do it. I reckon animals and birds find it easier to master than humans. They probably take more daily exercise, for a start! RH
LikeLike
My goal is to try to get a small bird…eatting a fish..Love this shot
LikeLike
It’s a good goal to have but a lot of things have to come right – including that the bird, the fish and you all keep still at the right split second! RH
LikeLike
With his back to the camera the whole time, he clearly doesn’t like to be photographed having his dinner RH! 😉
LikeLike
Who does, bird, beast or man (except dogs, maybe – they ain’t bovvered)?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was eating lemon sole goujons at the weekend in much the same style. Less elegantly though, I think…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it’s conjures up an interesting picture of how photographers forage and for what… One by one, or a whole ‘beak-full’, I wonder?
LikeLike
Fantastic series of photos. On top of being a wonderful photographer, I would guess your friend Binkie is a patient person. Great post RH! 🙂
LikeLike
It’s a great sequence! I forgot to ask him how long the whole performance took, but I’m guessing several minutes, excluding getting a flapping fish into the right position to swallow it whole! I’ve never seen a small heron with such a large fish in relation to its body size. Just shows – ‘all things are possible’! RH
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Green heron fishing video | Dear Kitty. Some blog