Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2008/03/19 - 3:55pm
We were driving down the road towards the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge this morning and spotted this heron coming out of the canal along the side of the road. It had caught something, and was struggling to get airborne.
The heron flew out right in front of us, going down the road in the same direction. We had to slow down to keep from running over it. At first we thought it had a snake, but then we could see it looked like an eel. We followed the heron down the road for a minute, until it flew back over into the brush along the side of the road. We pulled over to watch. Click read more to see what happened...
Coming in for a landing with its cargo...
Hmm... now what?
OK, I think I can swallow this thing...
Oops, quite a predicament...
The eel almost gets a stranglehold...
Slurp...
Gulp... the heron prevails.
We didn't catch the whole struggle on film. It was hilarious to watch, though. The heron kept shaking the eel loose and throwing it on the ground and stabbing at it with his beak, until it finally got the eel in position to swallow it alive and whole. It happened so fast I didn't catch the coup de grâce except for the eel's tail disappearing.
|
Topics:
|
10
vote
|
Shortcuts
Discussing:
- Public meeting re. proposed West Town area homeless supportive housing (193 replies)
- Blue Cross Blue Plate Special (1 reply)
- City of Knoxville proposing Homeless Housing in South Knoxville (35 replies)
- Fox News cites bogus survey claiming physicians oppose health care reform (2 replies)
- Bridge to nowhere (23 replies)
- West Knox site not suitable for homeless housing development (42 replies)
- Knoxville Retailers, Gone but not Forgotten (165 replies)
- GPS technology gone awry (17 replies)
- Forget the Dow, FedEx is the new economic barometer (2 replies)
- AP: Haslam job claims exaggerated (2 replies)
- Empowering neighborhoods to clean up neglected properties (1 reply)
- Sample ballots for May 4th county primary (4 replies)
Upcoming events:
- Mar 19 2010 - 12:00pm (2 hours 36 min from now)
- Mar 20 2010 - 12:00pm (1 day 2 hours from now)
- Mar 21 2010 - 12:00pm (2 days 2 hours from now)
- Mar 23 2010 - 7:00pm (4 days 9 hours from now)
- Mar 24 2010 - 8:00pm (5 days 10 hours from now)
- Mar 26 2010 - 5:00pm (1 week 7 hours from now)
- Apr 2 2010 - 6:30pm (2 weeks 9 hours from now)
- Apr 9 2010 - 8:00am (2 weeks 6 days from now)
- Apr 9 2010 - 8:00am (2 weeks 6 days from now)
User login
Navigation
Citizen Blog-O-Rama
- From our "Global Warming is a Hoax" Department (Whitescreek Journal)
- Quote of the Day (RoaneViews)
- Intense face time with EPA may sway Coal Regulations in Coal Waste Company's Favor (RoaneViews)
- The Tennessean Got Duped--AGAIN (Southern Beale)
- Cable Networks Fight Over Sarah Palin Reality Show (TN Guerilla Women)
- Feel Good Friday--Peace Edition (Silence Isn't Golden)
- TVA Police no longer stationed on Swan Pond Circle Road (RoaneViews)
- Veteran's Clinic (RoaneViews)
- The next logical step to FOIA: POIA (Jack Lail)
- Bart Gordon a “Yes” on Health Care Reform (Liberadio(!))
- leaving them to starve (Domestic Psychology)
- A PR Disaster for the Farm Bureau (Liberadio(!))
- TN State Senator Andy Berke on Green Jobs: This is a Place Tennessee Can be First (Liberadio(!))
- Why I love My Congressman #1,295 (Left Wing Cracker)
- Susan is Right, Insurance Companies are Wrong (Liberadio(!))
Local Media Yokels
- Dr. Bill Bass and 'The Bone Thief' (Michael Silence)
- 10 Days Out March 19-21, 2010 (Randall Brown)
- Discounted Big Ears tickets offered to high school and college students (Randall Brown)
- Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson discuss their new book while hanging out at the Body Farm (Randall Brown)
- Downtown to Finally Get Its Own Grocery (Metro Pulse)
- Haslam Defends Jobs Claim (Metro Pulse)
- Well, this would be an image problem (Michael Silence)
- Legacy of a Knoxville modernist (Josh Flory)
- Groups Turn Up Pressure to Regulate Coal Ash (Metro Pulse)
- Mohney, Saddlebrook return BB&T's legal fire (Josh Flory)
- Holy Land Market FAIL (Metro Pulse)
- A honey of a listing (Josh Flory)
- A tenant for the Daylight Building (Josh Flory)
- Viva la grid! (Josh Flory)
- Thursday briefing (Josh Flory)
Nashville Media Cats
- Boehner Rules (AC Kleinheider)
- Madame Mayor (AC Kleinheider)
- The Job (AC Kleinheider)
- Outrunning The Judiciary (AC Kleinheider)
- Missouri Wants To Be Like Us (AC Kleinheider)
- Why I’m So Happy And Bubbly (AC Kleinheider)
- Hispanic Dems Deliver Their Votes For Health Care Reform (AC Kleinheider)
- Conservative Org Purports To Benefit The Troops (AC Kleinheider)
- Morning Roundup: No Sympathy for the Farm Bureau (Pith in the Wind)
- Cooper Backs GOP Resolution To Force Vote On Senate Bill (Pith in the Wind)
- Williamson Most ‘Conservative-Friendly’ County In America (AC Kleinheider)
- Volunteer Kickback?: State To Get New Medicaid Funds In Latest Health Reform Bill Revision (AC Kleinheider)
- TNGOP Blasts Gordon For Health Care Reform Flip (AC Kleinheider)
- The 200 (AC Kleinheider)
- Senator Vows To Block Nominations Of Health Reform Vote Switchers (AC Kleinheider)
Daily Rag
- Knoxville gas prices bounce back, oil drifts below $82 (Knoxville News Sentinel Business)
- KPD investigating double-stabbing (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- Fire awakens home owner in East Knoxville (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- FedEx CEO Smith praises Obama; says president 'very pro-business' (Knoxville News Sentinel Business)
- Forecast: Sunny Saturday, rainy Sunday (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- Former Knox Sheriff Tim Hutchison, his wife countersue Citizens National Bank (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- Knoxville man uses time in jail to finish education, get fit (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- McIntyre says Knox teachers' raises or jobs must go (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- KUB panel reviews trimming policy (Knoxville News Sentinel)
- Woman touts benefits of homeless housing (Knoxville News Sentinel)
Film at 11
- Police search for suspect after store clerk assaulted, robbed (WATE local)
- Century-old church in Blount County moving to Smokies center (WATE local)
- 1-230th National Guard families prepare for Sunday homecoming (WATE local)
- More proposed cuts for Knox County schools (WATE local)
- Over a million high chairs recalled after babies injured (WATE local)
- Climer: Tennessee scraps its way into NCAA second round (WBIR Local)
- English-only push resurfaces (WBIR Local)
- Tennessee's unemployment rate won't get much relief from jobs bill (WBIR Local)
- KPD investigates North Knoxville double stabbing (WBIR Local)
- Vols advance with 62-59 win over San Diego State (WBIR Local)
- Senate delays vote on resolution to ban income tax (WVLT Local)
- Vols RB Bryce Brown not with the team (WVLT Local)
- Monroe Co. community wishes deputies good luck ahead of 253rd deployment (WVLT Local)
- E. Tenn. woman faces meth charges in Bell Co. (WVLT Local)
- Roane Co. trucker killed in industrial accident (WVLT Local)
Wire Reports
- Fargo floods turn farm fields into sprawling lakes (AP) (AP National News)
- Democrats push toward Sunday vote on health care (AP) (AP Politics)
- Attorneys: Chicago man providing info on terrorism (AP) (AP National News)
- Abortion foes plan 'no' vote on health overhaul (AP) (AP Politics)
- Obama legacy at stake as health vote looms (AFP) (AP Politics)
- Pa. suspect is rare US woman facing terror trial (AP) (AP National News)
- PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama in immigration dance (AP) (AP Politics)
- Calif police department on alert for deadly traps (AP) (AP National News)
- Could school bus ads save school budgets? (AP) (AP National News)
- Ore. lawsuit claims Boy Scouts sex abuse coverup (AP) (AP National News)
- Diplomats urge resumption of Mideast talks (AP) (AP Politics)
- Israelis view Obama favorably, mixed on Netanyahu (AP) (AP Politics)
- On health vote, Dems are polls apart (Politico) (AP Politics)
- SC gov agrees to pay ethics fine, gets divorced (AP) (AP National News)
- Health care bill extends wage tax to investments (AP) (AP Politics)
- EADS takes parting shot at Boeing (Politico) (AP Politics)
- Netanyahu addresses US lobby meet amid crisis (AFP) (AP Politics)
- POLITICO's guide to the undecideds (Politico) (AP Politics)
- Wavering Dems milk minutes of fame (Politico) (AP Politics)
- Sheriff's office: Body on WA beach is missing boy (AP) (AP National News)
About KnoxViews
Search
Popular today
Popular this week
- How a puppy sees the world
- Bankruptcy: An expanding market that creates jobs
- Metro Pulse Best of Knoxville survey
- Second Saturday for Second Harvest Consumer Wine Education/Tasting Seminar
- about earmarks, government spending and that towel over your head
- Tennessee gun laws: Exporting gun violence
- Athens bank files $4.8 million lawsuit against Hutchison
TN Progressive All-Stars
- BlountViews
- Crone Speaks
- Cup of Joe Powell
- Left Wing Cracker
- Liberadio(!)
- Newscoma
- OpenPen
- Pith in the Wind
- RoaneViews
- Sean Braisted
- Sharon Cobb
- Silence Isn't Golden
- Southern Beale
- Speak to Power
- TennViews
- Tiny Cat Pants
- TN Guerilla Women
- Vibinc
- WhitesCreek Journal
Nearby:
- AC Entertainment
- Ackermann Digital
- Blount Dems
- Carole Borges
- Craig Thomas
- Daily Pulse
- David Oatney
- Discover ET
- Domestic Psychology
- Dwight Van de Vate
- Ellen Smith
- Farragut West Knox Net
- Fletch
- Fort Sanders
- Frank Murphy
- Gene Patterson
- Home/Work
- Infomaniac
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jack McElroy
- Jim Stovall
- Jonathan Hickman
- Julie Patchouli
- Knox Blog Buzz
- Knox Dems
- Knox Trivia
- KnoxBlab
- Knoxify
- KnoxPatch
- Knoxvillager
- Last Home
- Left of the Dial
- Les Jones
- Long Pauses
- Lynn Point Records
- MamaPundit
- Michael Grider
- Michael Silence
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Mushy's Moochings
- Phyllis Patterson
- Pittman Properties
- Property Scope
- Randall Brown
- Reality Me
- Resonance
- Rikki Hall
- Rob Huddleston
- School Matters
- Shane Rhyne
- Snark Bites
- Stacey Campfield
- Suzy Trotta
- Tabloid Boy
- Team Swap
- Terry Frank
- Thirteen Letters
- TN Clean Water
- Tom Humphrey
- Tri Cities
- Wendy Pitts Reeves
- Yellow Dog
Beyond:
- 10,000 Monkeys
- AC Kleinheider
- Andy Axel
- BlogNetNews TN
- Chris Jackson
- Daily Docket
- Democracy for TN
- Democratic Talk Radio
- Enclave
- Ginger Snaps
- Just Wonderin'
- Lean Left
- Lynnster Zone
- Mark Brown
- Nashville is Talking
- NewsTechZilla
- Pesky Fly
- Planet Rye
- Quiet Life
- Smart City Memphis
- Southern Liberal Living
- Sugarfused
- TN 4th District
- TN Dems
- TN Ticket
- TN Trivia
- TN Women's Caucus
- Volunteer Report
- West TN Liberal
- Your Liberal Friends
- Bob Stepno
- Dope on the Slope
- Facing South
- Great Smoky
- GTTim
- Hillbilly Savants
- Lovable Liberal
- Newsrack
- Opinari
- Wandering Hillbilly
At large:
- Agonist
- Alterdestiny
- American Street
- Atrios
- Burnt Orange Report
- Buzzflash
- Carpetbagger Report
- College Dems
- Common Cause
- Crooks and Liars
- Daily Kos
- Democratic Strategist
- Democrats.org
- Digby's Hullabaloo
- DSCC
- Eccentricity
- Huffington Post
- Lefty Blogs
- Liberal Oasis
- Media Matters
- MyDD
- Open Secrets
- Pam's House Blend
- Political Wire
- Politico
- Progressive States
- Seeing the Forest
- Senate Guru
- Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
- Suburban Guerrilla
- Swing State Project
- Talk Left
- Talking Points Memo
- Think Progress
- Truthdig
Government:
- City of Knoxville
- Homeless Ten Year Plan
- Knox Co Commission
- Knox County
- Knox County Code
- Knoxville Code
- State of Tennessee
- TN Code Annotated
- TN General Assembly
- U.S. House
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. Thomas LoC
- UT CTAS
- UT MTAS
Wow! Nice catch. The
Wow! Nice catch. The pictures I mean.
Awesome. I wonder if the
Awesome. I wonder if the heron could fly straight after that meal with a wiggling eel for ballast.
Amphiuma
I can't make out the head but I'll bet the beast is one of these.
I've wrestled a few of them. They can bite, but usually don't. The really odd thing is that they eat snakes, frogs, and just about anything they can catch, including chicks and ducklings.
The food chain is really a circle.
Amazing. Thanks, yet again,
Amazing. Thanks, yet again, for wonderful nature photography.
Pam Strickland
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut
Amazing...
photography and timing. thanks for sharing.
That is absolutely
That is absolutely amazing.
http://www.newscoma.wordpress.com
Great catch! I have a few
Great catch! I have a few heron's that live in the wetlands right below my condo, but I never see them feeding. What lens are you shooting this with?
This was taken with the
This was taken with the "walkabout" rig, my old D70 and a new Nikon 18-200 VR which does a pretty decent job considering the range it covers. The photos were cropped to zoom in more on the subject.
Thanks!
Hard to know which side to cheer for in that battle. That bird would have had one heck of a 'the one that got away' story to share with his buddies!
Post new comment