One Lucky Fish…One Unhappy Bird
This past weekend I was watching an anhinga doing some early morning fishing in the marsh pond.
At one point she came up with a fish, then did a perfect mid air flip and what looked like was going to be a perfect catch except… the fish bounced off the lower portion of the anhinga’s bill, and splashed into the water where it was able to make a speedy escape!
Score one for the fortunate fish, but zero points for the disappointed anhinga.
Oh well, more where that came from, and this bird will go right back in and try again…
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Molto fortunato. Foto spettacolari, Complimenti Phil
Ciao, Patrizia
Grazie Pat, sono felice ti è piaciuto queste foto.
This reminded me we were going to see your M&M catching skills some day! 😮
Oh yeah, I forgot about that. And kind of hoped everyone else did too. 😛
She certainly was trying to regain her meal. She’ll find another though! Hope that little guy didn’t have a heart attack!
She really did want that fish but now he has a story to tell all his friends for sure!
Amazing images. Hard to believe the fish got away from such a great fisher! 🙂
It’s rare that a fish gets away from one of these birds. Usually they spear the fish so even if they drop one it’s gotta be close to dead.
Check one for the fishes !
Occasionally the fish wins, not too often, just occasionally. 🙂
Oh Phil, I love the look of surprise and complete helpless horror on the anhinga’s face – aghast!
Ooops – A priceless capture, that one. 🙂
I did get some shots but the little fishie got away. 🙂
She did seem to be genuinely shocked to have missed the catch and the fish got away! Rarely happens.
Nature is fantastic. Great shots, Phil!
Nature really is fantastic! Thanks very much and glad you liked these anhinga shots!
great scene … A little slapstick movie. You can even see the birds eye following the fish falling back in the water.
I don’t think that bird could believe it. Even as the fish was falling back into the water she looked like she was shocked such a thing could happen.
great shots!!! How do you know when thats going to happen????right in mid-air, amazing work.
Thanks a bunch! I have been observing and photographing anhingas for a few years now and can often predict approximately when one will flip a fish in mid air. That’s what I always try to capture. Some times I get it, some times I don’t. 🙂
So happy for that lucky fish, Phil. He must have had his whole life flash before his eyes, with that near-death experience. 🙄
So true, but I bet he has a great story now to tell all his friends. 😀
Oh no! I love the look of happy anticipation on the anhinga’s face right before the fish escapes. So funny.
That really is the funny part, he looks so thrilled to be getting this tasty fish but then… lost! Yikes!
Fantastic series.
Hey thanks, glad you liked them!
awesomeness
Thank you Scott.
Nothing like grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory, or something like that! Really great photos of the one that got away.
Occasionally the fish wins one and lives to tell the tail! This one has quite a story to tell his friends. Bet they won’t believe him. 🙂
Yep, he has used up one of his nine lives.
Oh wait, wrong species. Do fish have nine lives?
With the amount of hungry birds and alligators we have around here I think most of these fish are lucky just to make it through the day. 🙂