Woody’s Big Lunch

Yesterday afternoon we saw a wood stork snag a nice size fish out of the salt marsh. This is somewhat unusual, we don’t normally see them eating large fish. Usually they catch and eat much smaller fish, the occasional eel, shrimp and other marine crustaceans. Woody, however, really really wanted this catch and after a four minute struggle to get it down, he appeared quite pleased with himself! I also thought it might be nice to give a little screen time to one of our little pals in the swamp who was enjoying some afternoon sun yesterday as well.

49 thoughts on “Woody’s Big Lunch”

    • Hey glad you enjoyed these photos! He does look happy in that last shot doesn’t he?! Although he stood there for a while as if trying to decide if maybe he made a mistake eating a fish that large. I don’t think the fish settled in too well. 😯
      That alligator was back in the swamp away from the salt marsh where Woody was fishing. I just put my gator buddy in there for fun. 😀

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  2. “One of our little pals?” I scrolled down expecting a cute little feathered or furry something or other. 😆 Fantastic close-ups of that poor fish going down the hatch. I just wish that I couldn’t see the beseeching look in its eye. 😦

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  3. I agree with Edith’s comment, that last photo of the stork shows a triumphant smile! He probably feels victorious after that catch and meal. Excellent shots as always, Phil.

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  5. Wonderful. I think fast food chains wanting to promote their “hungry man dinner” should use these images. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the Wendy’s “living large” ads but these would fit right in. Oh yes, and an elegant transition to the gator shot (how do they keep sneaking in?).

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    • Well he definitely Super Sized his meal for sure! I saw him gulping some water after the swallow, so guess he went for the Ex Large drink too!
      I’m not sure how those gators keep managing to sneak in like that, but they can be stealthy. 😀

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  11. Love this amazing sequence, but I’m still having trouble figuring out how the birds manage it. Isn’t the fish wiggling and squirming while the bird maneuvers it into swallowing position. I’ve noticed that initially they seem to snatch the fish crosswise. Thanks for the alligator finish, Just had to grin at that one!

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    • This do wiggle and squirm some for sure. But the bird bill must clamp down a lot tighter then we might think, and I suspect they almost paralyze the fish by squeezing. They snatch the fish at all sorts of angles. Sometimes birds like herons (likely unintentionally) spear the fish.
      Glad you like the alligator finale. Somehow they often manage to sneak their way into posts.

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      • Them gators sure are sneaky critters… 😉
        Got to watch a cormorant coming up with some wiggly fish this evening. They gulp them down so fast I’m still puzzled over how they manage it.

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    • Thanks so much Molly glad you liked those! He does have a goofy little grin at the end there doesn’t he? 🙂
      Well you know me, if there is a way to get an alligator into a post I’ll do it. 😀

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    • I think we can possibly guess what might be going through the fish’s mind at that point and it’s likely something along the lines of…Nooooooooo!!!! 😀 Thanks very much for checking out these pics!

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  17. Loved seeing one of your little pals slinking through the shallows, camouflage tufts of weed and all – though he doesn’t look in the least dangerous this moment, more intent on sunbathing than hunting, i think?

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