Rondeau Ric

Carp spawning in shallow water at a local conservation area. It was hard to tell, but they appeared to be about 2 feet long. High water levels are bringing the carp close to a viewing platform. Cyprinus carpio(?)

I don't think you are supposed to eat the whole thing at once. Maybe it is different for egrets. Ardea alba  Though it mainly hunts while wading, the Great Egret occasionally swims to capture prey or hovers (somewhat laboriously) over the water and dips for fish. Great Egrets fly slowly but powerfully: with just two wingbeats per second their cruising speed is around 25 miles an hour.

Illusion or a sudden stop. You decide.

Do you want that super sized? , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch a heron or egret eat a large fish it is like watching a teenager gobble down a super sized fast food hamburger, fries and drink in 60 seconds. You can't quite believe your eyes. How does the bird juggle the fish without loosing it and then swallow it whole? This was taken on Rondeau Bay last summer. Right now the heron has been supplanted by ice fisherpeople. I just get my ice from the freezer, it's much easier. Ardea herodias Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can curl their neck into an S shape for a more aerodynamic flight profile and to quickly strike prey at a distance. The oldest Great Blue Heron, based on banding recovery, was 24 years old.

Why do I keep catching fish? , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Honestly, that is what I over heard one of these kids say. Well I suppose it might have something to do with the baited hook you keep putting in the water. They all seemed to be having fun, except for the kid who kept catching fish.