Big Breakfast
Yesterday morning this anhinga nabbed herself a nice size fish for breakfast. She might be able to take the rest of the day off from fishing after this one!
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Phil Lanoue Photography 
Stunning photographs!
Hey thanks very much!
Your welcome those are amazing captures!
Well I truly appreciate your very kind words, and I’m thrilled you enjoy the photos!
That’d certainly set you up for the day.. I think I’ll stick with McD’s version though Phil. Stunning photos!
I agree Adrian, that’s not what I would go for first, but what do I know?! 🙂
Thanks for looking!
Esp. If Mr. B Eagle does not see her……
You have a point there. Especially since this anhinga took a while to get the fish down, Mr. You Know Who spots that from his tree top lair and it’s game over.
Ouch, that looks quite painful!
Very painful indeed for the fish but a struggle for the anhinga as well. She took a while to get it down her skinny neck.
Nice shots!
Thanks much for looking and commenting!
Now that’s impressive! Good catch all around!
I know I was impressed, plus this fish was far too big to be tossing around like M&Ms. 🙂
That last photo is amazing. But it looks painful!
That one was a double gulper. The anhinga got it down once, then needed a big second effort to keep it down.
Yes always better if breakfast stays down.
Thankfully I had no issues with my muffin this morning.
These are brilliant pictures Phil! Great work, both of you!
Thank you Maggie, glad you like them!
So cool. 🙂
They really are fun birds to watch and photograph.
I see that the anhinga altered its normal habit of flipping the fish up in the air and swallowing it on the way down. When I saw the first image, I figured that there was no way that it would use the technique that you have captured so well in other postings. Your photos show the anhinga managed to swallow that big fish, but it’s still hard to believe that it is physiologically possible for it to do so. Wow!
The anhinga did not even attempt the usual mid air flip and catch on this fish But she sure wanted it once she had it, the problem became how to maneuver it to swallow?! After a good bit of re-positioning, she gulped it down nicely.
I am sure she could have gotten advice from the herons, who have more experience swallowing fish that big. 🙂
Maybe she was trying to copy a heron that caught and ate a big fish earlier. Either way she got lucky and managed to get down and keep down this fish without any trauma. 🙂
Good heavens! That’s quite a mouthful, and an eyeful too. 😯 Great shots, Phil. 🙂
Oh it was indeed an eyeful Sylvia! That bird’s eyes were big too realizing what it had and figuring what to do with it.
Haha, funny and beautiful report … You can see here verry well how strong a bird is. That fish must be quite heavy.
You are right about that. These birds sure have long, skinny necks but along with being fast they must be quite strong as well. I wouldn’t want one mad at me and taking a stab with that sharp bill.
So close up! That is one *big* catch for her. Must say she looks proud of herself in the first photo. By the last photo, she looks like she’s just concentrating on being able to eat her meal, as it is quite a mouthful. 🙂
She really was concentrating hard and I could tell she really wanted that fish badly. It was a struggle but she kept at it and finally got her reward. Yummy! 🙂
That’s awesome!
Thanks for checking these out and glad you liked them!
The fish looks bigger than the bird, great catch, and great capture!!!
It was probably the biggest fish I ever saw an anhinga catch and eat. Very efficient then, she used less energy then catching 10 small ones. 🙂
WOWZA! I can’t even..(gulp)…your photos and story of this great hunter of a bird is outstanding and vivid! I feel like I’m the one struggling to swallow that colossal fish. Give this bird a standing ovation!!! 😀
Yes that bird did deserve a big round of applause and I believe I did cheer a little at the end. 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad you liked these anhinga photos.
Wonderful shots, Phil. We get occasional Anhingas on Abaco though I’ve never seen one, and I’ve never managed to find a photo of one taken on Abaco. Another one on my bird ‘wants’ list! RH
Amazing captures here Phil! Wow it looks like the unfortunate fish is positioned for the final “slide” down her long/skinny neck? You can even see the silhouette a little! At that point does she manage to swallow the fish alive and digest it okay?’