The herons were basking in the sun until this happened...
It was around 7:00 PM and I was at the Esquimalt Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Victoria, BC, taking a few photos of the birds.
The Great Blue Herons were flying around, checking each other out, looking all glamorous and backlit.
They were looking good and they knew it!
Practising take off and landing...
Playing games in the early evening sun. Life was good.
A Bald Eagle cries... it's directly overhead! It flew off across the lagoon and I lost sight of it for a moment.
Now some small birds like crows and seagulls are very aggressive with eagles, trying to keep them away from their nests. The herons, unfortunately, have no defence except to scream when an eagle approaches.
The screaming defence does not work at all. Notice what this bald eagle chick is having for dinner. That can only be a heron leg stuck in its mouth!
Are you still with me? That was all just background. Here's what happened next...
At the far end of the lagoon, the herons started making a huge racket. I just had time to aim the camera.
A bald eagle drops out of the sky like a missile. The herons cry out in alarm and try to get out of the way!
It's their lucky day, the eagle was not after them, it has spotted a fish!
Here's the rest of the sequence I was so thrilled to capture - this all happened in a second!
The eagle snatches a fish from the water with its talons.
As it turns and heads for home the eagle bends its head down to get a good look at the catch. It's a nice size fish!
The eagle flies away victorious, trailing waterdrops behind. And that's the end of my photo essay. It was a great day the be a heron! Or an eagle... not so much for the fish. Thank you very much for reading!
