A few days ago, I took my camera to one of my favorite nature and bird hotspots in South Florida, Wakodahatchee Wetlands in West Delray Beach, Florida.
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands teemed with freshly-hatched and adult herons, egrets, common moorhens, gators, and more of the usual suspects.
It was a magical photo journey, and one of the highlights of this trip was an amazing fight between a Great Blue Heron and a snake. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
This Great Blue Heron walks through the grass. Unbeknownst to me, it was on the hunt.Snipe! Quicker than a blink of an eye, this heron snagged a snake right out of the grass!At this point, the snake is still alive. The heron walks towards the water’s edge.Dunk! The heron begins dunking the snake underwater.The heron pulls the snake from the water. It is still alive.If you look closely, the snake’s mouth is wide open. It is not happy.The heron completely submerges the snake again.Is the snake still alive?The snake is still alive and is not going to be eaten without a fight! The snake begins to wrap itself around the heron’s beak.The snake is wrapped around the heron’s beak!The heron had to completely submerge its beak in order to get the snake to release its grip. Now, the snake is limp.The heron begins to gulp the snake down the hatch.A piece of the tale hangs from the heron’s beak.Almost gone!
The snake lost its battle, and the heron was fed. This was a circle of life moment of nature unfiltered, and I was lucky to be there to capture this epic fight at Wakodahatchee Wetlands!
This awesome video was recorded on my iPhone 6s with the slow motion capabilities. While visiting the beautiful Blowing Rocks Preserve in Hobe Sound, Florida, I captured this magnificent sight- a sea hawk carrying a large, freshly caught fish!